Android Localization

Android is a mobile operating system from Google. Each Android application can contain several resources such as user interface, strings, images, animation and XML. Sisulizer can localize all Android resource types including HTML, XML and text files stored as raw resources.

Android application are deployed as APK files. An APK file contains compiled code and compiled resources. When you use binary localization you don't need source codes at all and you don't have to recompile anything. Sisulizer reads the orignal application file (.apk), extracts resources from the file, and finally creates localized application file(s). Each output file contains resources in one language or one output file contains resources in all languages that you support. A localized single language application is similar to the original application but the original resource data has been replaced with the translated ones. A localized multi language application contains the unchanged original resources plus set of localized resources. It is up to you which file you create and deploy. A single language application files are smaller because they contain resources in one language only. A multi language application files are easier to deploy because you can deploy the same file to every market area.

Signing applications

All Android applications must be signed. If an application is not signed Android OS will not install it. In order to sing an application you need to have a key. You can do your key yourself. There is no need to get it from a certified key provided. There are two kind of keys in Android. One is the debug key. This is a temporal key that works only on emulator. You can not deploy applications signed with debug key. The password of the debug key is always the same so there is no need to store password or ask password them. If you use Eclipse it automatically debug signs application before installing in to the emulator. Sisulizer can also sign the application package files it creates. Use the Signing sheet of the source dialog to configure sign settings. Read more about signing from Android documentation

Samples

Sisulizer's Android\Converter directory contains a sample that shows how to localize an Android application.