DORKALIZE: Main

DORKALIZE
by Francesco Borghese & Giacomo Di Giacomo

What's this?

Dorkalize is a utility that takes C source files and adds support for AmigaOS localization by replacing the strings contained in them with calls to the appropriate OS functions, allows input and editing of their translations, generates the catalog descriptor files used by CatComp to create catalogs, and then spawns CatComp itself to create the catalogs. This allows you to program without cluttering your sources with calls which make them much less readable.
Unlike other programs of the same type, Dorkalize allows you to perform further development of your program on the original sources, without having to deal with the clumsy defines and/or function calls which replace printable strings. Dorkalize will keep track of the modifications you had made to your sources and will recover the localized strings and their translations from the previous version. At every new version, you only have to select which strings of the new ones you entered you want to be localized, enter their translations, and compile the localized sources. Dorkalize will do all the rest, up to creating the catalog.
This program was started to be a replacement for the buggy parsing function of Commodore's "Localize" program, which is used to localize C source programs. At least for us, it has never worked. It has then turned into a powerful utility featuring advanced string filtering, automatic patching of source files, built-in editing and translation of strings, recovery of translated strings from older catalog descriptors, and spawning of CatComp.

Why this?

Because when we tried to localize our Italian lotto program AmiSuperLotto we discovered, much to our disappointment, that Localize did not work correctly. Specifically, the line numbers to patch were incorrectly reported. In addition to this, we wanted to develop a program to suit our needs (and maybe other programmers') and allow for a quick translation of programs.

Requirements

Dorkalize requires any Amiga with at least OS 2.1 and MUI 3.0 or better, the MUI custom classes NList.mcc and BetterString.mcc (included in the distribution archive), and the Commodore localization tool CatComp. You may use Commodore's Localize tool, but this is neither requested nor useful (since it contains more than one bug). You can find CatComp and Localize in the 3.1 Native Developer Kit.

Distribution

This program is freeware. You can use and spread it any way you like. Please email us if you use it and you think there is something which does not work or could be improved. Feel free to send comments and suggestions. You can contact the authors at the following addresses:

FRANCESCO BORGHESE
VIA G.SPINEDI 39
00015 MONTEROTONDO (ROMA)

fraborg@tiscali.it.

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