Software Localisation and Software Localisation Testing: An Overview and Case Study. Dr. Mark Rice

Transcription

1 Software Localisation and Software Localisation Testing: An Overview and Case Study Dr. Mark Rice

2 This Presentation Will Explore the high-level processes of software localisation and software localisation testing Emphasise the importance of software localisation and software localisation testing Highlight the challenges facing the software localisation industry today Parameters: the video game industry and using my own experiences as a software tester and project manager. All opinions expressed are my own 2

3 What Is Software Localisation? There is no absolute definition of software localisation, but I define it as follows: Software localisation is more than the translation of software text and audio for international audiences; it also involves hardware considerations, packaging design, unit conversion, online store alteration, the tailoring of content to cultural sensitivities and transcreation: the act of maintaining a uniform message, mood, intent and emotional response for every language, country and region 3

4 How Is Software Localisation Done? Before testing begins, the regions where a title will be released, and associated languages, are chosen, typically by the marketing department Each region-specific version is called a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), e.g. LATAM SKU SKUs are tailored or localised at the code level, taking into account legal and cultural considerations (e.g. blood or characters uniforms) Rarely, country-specific SKUs will be created Discussing localisation in terms of language, country and region is key. While it is intuitive to talk of localisation in terms of language, the typical level is region, of which language is but a constituent 4

5 How Is Software Localisation Done? Simultaneously, text and audio are localised from the parent language to all desired languages Localisation may occur in-house or, typically, by using vendors. Vendors differ in expertise; the choice of vendor depends on the needs and scope of the title. Vendors don t just translate, they localise Localised text and audio strings are incorporated into the code from a localisation tool (e.g. Localised Asset Management System, LAMS), with an in-house localisation department acting as an intermediary for vendors Localisation testing may begin before all the initial localisation has been completed Localisation is an ongoing, iterative process; new and changed content is constantly downloaded to and uploaded from vendors, via localisation tools and the in-house localisation department 5

6 What Do Software Localisation Testers Typically Test? Spelling, punctuation and grammar Accuracy of content Timing of content Overlapping/obscured/clipped text and audio Culturally sensitive content Ratings content not a core activity Units (e.g. dollars, miles or centimetres) Transcreation Occasionally packaging and the online store Ad hoc localisation/vendor duties 6

7 How Do They Test? Testing is typically organised by language (being the primary method of classifying issues), while taking into account countries and regions Similar to functional testing: Efficient test plans (Excel or tool-based) using similar projects as benchmarks Static and dynamic testing Path analysis Boundary value analysis Exploratory testing, with a test charter New build: progress is reset, bugs are retested! 7

8 What Happens When They Find an Issue? Like functional testing, a reporting tool (e.g. Jira, Bugzilla or DevTrack) is used to record the issue Issues may be cloned for each language which is affected and retested individually when the issue has been claimed fixed Testers are able to fix some issues immediately, via their localisation tool, but they will still likely be reported There is significant crossover between the duties of functional and localisation testing teams. Each title adopts a different approach when classifying issues as either functional or localisation, but there is always communication between teams 8

9 Case Study: Table Mini Golf (Four Door Lemon, 2013) I was an on-site functional tester for this title Combined functional and localisation testing began December 2012 and lasted until March

10 Case Study: Table Mini Golf (Four Door Lemon, 2013) Approximately 200 localisation issues were recorded for this title 15 Clipped text 1 Corruption 13 Grammar 20 Inconsistency 33 Overlapping text 3 Punctuation 6 Spelling 14 Text implementation 53 Translation error 40 Untranslated text 2 Wrong language N.B. These issues include child/clone issues (duplicated per language) and invalid issues It is a matter of discretion regarding which category a bug is assigned to Legal and cultural issues were reported by functional testers with input from localisation testers where necessary not included in the localisation figure Let us look at some of the localisation issues which were discovered: 10

11 Case Study: Table Mini Golf (2013): Clipped Text in German 11

12 Case Study: Table Mini Golf (2013): Overlapping Text in German 12

13 Case Study: Table Mini Golf (2013): Missing Verb in Italian Text 13

14 Case Study: Table Mini Golf (2013): Cultural Hazard in Italian 14

15 More Examples of Localisation Defects: Engrish Source: Aero-Fighters 2, Video System,

16 More Examples of Localisation Defects: Mistranslation Source: Street Fighter 2, Capcom,

17 More Examples of Localisation Defects: Engrish and Grammar Source: Ghostbusters, Micronics/Activision,

18 More Examples of Localisation Defects: Legal Source: Dodonpachi, Atlas/Cave,

19 What Makes a Good Software Localisation Tester? The International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) syllabi discuss the qualities of the ideal software tester. The ideal software localisation tester must possess all of these facets However, emphasis should be placed on testers who are multilingual, native to the language, country and/or region of the title SKU they are testing and who possess excellent spelling, punctuation and grammar skills Discretion: some localisation issues are intentional 19

20 The Challenges Facing Software Localisation and Software Localisation Testing Today Compared to the Golden Age (1970s 1990s) Localisation testers are more skilled and standards have improved. Localisation bugs are fewer and less severe prior to testing and more likely to be caught and fixed before software is released to the public More localisation testers are used per title than ever before Vendors and in-house testers are both used The scope of localisation has increased; it s no longer just translation Automation and machine translation is growing in importance Increased use of crowd testing/open betas (not just for localisation) The importance of successful localisation (and the risks of unsuccessful localisation) have been recognised 20

21 The Challenges Facing Software Localisation and Software Localisation Testing Today But Budgets and costs have increased too Legal and cultural requirements have become more stringent The potential for reputational and financial damage, especially from social media, is much greater: mistakes may be fewer, but their impact is typically greater Tools and methods are more complex, and testing lifecycles are longer How does the industry deal with the staff costs of quiet periods without losing trusted testers? There is a lack of standardisation compared to other forms of testing; TILP and ISTQB 21

22 References and Further Reading Rice, M., Is It Time for an ISTQB Software Localisation Testing Certificate?, The Tester (BCS), No. 54, 2015, pp Thank You! 22