SDL Passolo

Binary localization for all major development environments, from .NET to Java

"Localization" of software refers to the task of providing software interfaces in multiple languages while respecting cultural differences. This phase of software development is particularly challenging because it requires translators, software developers, and product managers to work together effectively. Translators normally have little or no programming knowledge and must have the ability to see the overall context of their work. Programmers, on the other hand, see the project from a technical perspective and want to tightly control the code. Finally, the product manager expects everything to come together seamlessly and for the foreign-language GUI to be consistent in design and wording.

SDL Passolo is a specialized software localization tool that effectively balances precisely this mix of expectations and requirements.

Passolo makes it easy for software developers to create and prepare localization projects from binary source files. When localization is complete, SDL Passolo automatically checks the results for common problems like overflowing text or clashing hot keys in a dialog. SDL Passolo then generates the binary target files without manual compilation of the target language. Since source files change very frequently in software development, SDL Passolo contains specialized update functions to re-localize the files at the press of a button.

Passolo is the ideal tool for translators because dialogs and menus are visible on the screen, providing the context needed for effective translation. Passolo is integrated with SDL Trados and SDL MultiTerm, giving the translator access to existing translation memories and terminology lists.

Project managers use Passolo to store and re-use previously translated material whenever required. When updates occur, existing translations and language-specific adaptations to the interface are re-applied automatically. Only modified or new text must be processed manually.

Reasons to choose Passolo:

• Binary localization for compact and context-based (WYSIWYG) translation projects without manual compilation of the target languages.
• Pseudo-translation for quick test runs
• Complete Trados and MultiTerm integration for uniform translation of GUIs and documentation.
• Automatic check functions uncover a large number of common localization errors.
• Update functionality to automatically reproduce existing translations and GUI adaptations in the target language.
• Support for all common development environments.
• Support for a large number of difficult-to-parse formats like CSV, special text or XML formats, direct access to database, etc.

The next steps:

• View recorded Webinars on SDL Passolo
• Request information or product documentation.
• Request Web presentation