There are two specialized types of translation tools: user assistance and user interface localization tools. User assistance localization tools help you in the translation of documents, manuals, help files, etc. User interface localization tools are very specialized tools developed to facilitate the shipment of multilingual software. User interface localization tools are not really translation-oriented and require a good deal of specialist knowledge. memoQ is primarily a user assistance localization tool but offers solutions for simple software localization as well.
Due to its customizability, memoQ is ideal for translating XML-based or Excel data. It can bind the context to XML attributes such as resource names, retrieving the right translation for each and every occurrence of the same string. If your software localization process includes the translation of XML-based data, memoQ is the right tool for you.
memoQ also features a visual editor for RESX tools. You see the strings where they appear. Though suitable for translation, the RESX localization plugin does not remember the resizing of text boxes. If you need visual localization and your software product is complex, a visual user interface localization tool may be better for you for this task. If your software strings are stored in a text file with some sort of a tagging (such as ‘string name’=’string text’), you need to use a parser to specify what to translate and what not to translate. Tagger tools such as Preptags do this job for you, and you can import and translate the tagged files in memoQ.
memoQ’s quality assurance functionality provides great support during software localization. You can make sure that you use the right encoding, that you translate terms consistently, that you don’t translate the same string differently unless there’s a need for that, and that you don’t exceed a certain character limit.
memoQ does not check the uniqueness of hotkeys. If you need checks like these, you need to use a user interface localization tool. You also need to use user interface localization tools if you want to localize EXE, DLL, RC or other binary files.
Bear in mind that user interface localization tools cannot handle translation of documentation efficiently. Given the different objectives of UA and UI localization tools, user interface localization has an engineering approach, whereas user assistance localization tools like memoQ support efficient translation processes. User interface localization tools get the technical aspects of localization right. They don’t usually support collaboration and are complicated for translators at first sight. They usually support the TMX standard so you can import the translatable strings into memoQ, translate them in memoQ and export them back into the user interface localization tool.
memoQ itself is localized into all languages using memoQ enterprise edition. Progress can be monitored real-time, and translators can automatically retrieve the changed strings. In an environment where new builds are out very frequently, with only very few strings changed, such an environment can save a lot of project management time.