Automatic Internationalization for Just In Time Localization of Web-Based User Interfaces

Abstract

The need to modify an application so that it can support different languages and cultural settings can appear once the application is finished and even in the market. This may introduce serious time delays and an increase in costs. We solve this problem for web-based software through JITL, a post-hoc method to automatically internationalize websites and web-based applications, without having to modify the source code. With JITL, users can pull resource strings out of an arbitrary website and perform on-demand localization tasks. Based on this novel capability, JITL enables a complete infrastructure for collecting, storing, sharing, and delivering website translations, which invokes a number of exciting scenarios. Our studies show that JITL leads to significant savings in terms of user effort and, in consequence, money. With JITL, now it is possible to localize what is needed, when it is needed.