WizTom for Java

WizTom for Java is a complete environment that allows adding multilingual user interface to any existing Java application or Java applet.

Once the application has been localized, the end-user of the application can change the language dynamically at any time. WizTom for Java enables localizing any application without the traditional duplication/translation/re-compilation process and without involvement from developers.

Because WizTom for Java supports Java native UTF8 encoding, it can translate any Java application into any set of languages including Asiatic (Japanese, Chinese, etc.) and Middle East languages (Arabic, Hebrew).

Because WizTom for Java is a 100% Java application and since JDKs are available for many platforms, the translated Java application may also be deployed on any system (Windows, Macintosh, Unix, etc.) or Web browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc.).

Architecture Overview

WizTom for Java's main components are:

 WizTom Java Runtime

 and WizTom Studio

During the execution of the application, the WizTom Java Runtime's engine intercepts calls to the Java Virtual Machine APIs that display texts. The texts are then replaced by their translations from the WizTom Multilingual Database.

Translations are stored in a WizArt Multilingual Database created using WizTom Studio. WizTom Studio is presented in detail here.

Back to top

WizTom Java Runtime

WizTom Java Runtime must be shipped with the application. It has been fully optimized so as to add insignificant CPU and memory overhead to the translated application. WizTom Java Runtime takes less than 1 MB of space on disk; the space used by the WizTom Multilingual Database is proportionnal to the size of texts stored in it. for instance, 10000 English words take less than 200 Kb.

WizTom Java Runtime is easy to deploy: the required files (Java classes, flag images and the WizTom Multilingual Database) must be copied to the directory of the application. WizTom Studio then relinks the application so that WizTom Java Runtime is automatically called on startup.

WizTom Studio comes with an integrated module called the "Deployment Helper" which assists the user to deploy WizTom Java Runtime and the WizTom Multilingual Database.

Back to top

WizTom Multilingual Database

To ensure the best performances possible, WizArt has implemented its own proprietary database format. This specialized database system enables lightning fast retrieval of multilingual texts; it is not a general purpose database such as a relational database.

WizTom Multilingual Database supports Unicode, therefore enabling storage of all character sets.

Back to top

Character Sets Support

The WizTom Multilingual Database can store all character sets, thus allowing WizTom Runtime to translate into any language. Such as Greek, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, etc.

Back to top

Translation Rules

Translation rules may be given to WizTom as directives to translate complex strings. For instance, to correctly translate this text: "There are 3 items left.", WizTom must know that "3" is a variable. In a different runtime context, the string might as well come up as "There are 5 items left."

This is done by replacing the variable part of the string with a description of that variable surrounded by brackets. In the case we are considering, we should use the following text: "There are {number} items left.". A French translator would then translate this text with "Il reste {number} éléments."

It is possible to cover more complex cases with extended rules.

Back to top

Supported Environments

WizTom for Java runs in the following environments:

 Sun JRE up to 1.4.1;

 Microsoft VM for Java;

 Oracle JInitiator - learn more...

Other Java Virtual Machine (IBM, etc.) should be supported if they are compliant with the Official Sun JDK.

Back to top