Just as I am talking about my new project, last weekend, Pockey and I have already localized a great educational application called RUR-PLE. RUR-PLE is an environment designed to help kids learn computer programming using the Python language. Teaching kids algorithm are without any doubts going to enhance their problem solving abilities, analytical skills and passion to create things out of nothing.

The whole process of localizing this application took half a day as the author, André Roberge, had already internationalized its software. So basically it was just a matter of installing PoEdit, finding the po files in the right directly and just providing the Chinese version.

There are 48 lessons (not all are online, but they come with the package) bundled with RUR-PLE which are in HTML format. Now those have not been internationalized and we have so far only localized the main pages and the documentation. I am therefore starting to dive into the process of HTML internationalizing and I have much to learn. From what Freeflying told me I had to look into XML and DocBook for that. At first sight it does appear fairly complicated, so if anyone has the time to give me a crash course on the ABC’s of HTML internationalization and localization, please feel free to contact me.

What you can remember of this article however is that to port something as useful as RUR-PLE only took one afternoon! So if you want to help and join our efforts do come and visit our group.