Introduction Interfaces Formats Components Applications Downloads Help and Support Developers Notes Screen Shots	Okapi Framework Introduction

IMPORTANT NOTICE - Apr-30-2009:
This .NET implementation of Okapi is no longer actively developed.
Instead, a NEW JAVA IMPLEMENTATION IS AVAILABLE and is being actively developed.
The material on this Web site is for archive propose. Some applications of the old .NET implementation (e.g. Olifant) will be maintained to some degree until they have a replacement in the Java project.

Overview

The Okapi Framework is a set of interface specifications, format definitions, components and applications that provides an environment to build interoperable tools for the different steps of the translation and localization process.

The goal of the Okapi Framework is to allow tools developers and localizers to build new localization processes or enhance existing ones to best meet their needs, while preserving a level of compatibility and interoperability. It also provides them with a way to share (and re-use) components across different solutions. The project uses and promotes open standards, where they exist. For the aspects where open standards are not defined yet, the framework offers its own. The ultimate goal is to adopt the industry standards when they are defined and useable.

In short, the Okapi Framework aims at being a crucible where we forge common components that can be used in any localization and translation application, providing faster development time and better interoperability, but still allowing for the diversity of solutions.

[Okapi is pronounced o-ka-py (hear it)]

Examples of Okapi Tools

Here are some concrete examples of Okapi-made tools:

• Rainbow — A graphical user interface to launch any Okapi-compliant utility. Utilizing Rainbow allows the users to have a simple and common way to specify some of the options of all utilities. See a screen shot of Rainbow.

• The Text Extraction utility — A component that make use of the various Okapi filters to extract translatable text from different file formats and can produce RTF, XLIFF and other type of output files. These files can then be used in different translation tools.

• Tikal — A command-line program to launch any Okapi-compliant utility. Tikal runs on both the Microsoft and the Mono implementation of .NET, allowing to use some of the utilities and filters on different operating systems.

• The Properties Filter — A component that provide you a way to read and write java properties files, using a programming interface common to the other Okapi filters. This simplify enormously the development of programs or scripts to perform any type of tasks on the translatable text of the files. Many other formats are have also their own filter.

• Olifant — A Windows application to create, edit and manage translation memory file. It uses TMX as its main format, but also supports a few others. Olifant supports multilingual TMs, filtering, global find and replace function with regular expression, and much more.

• The Quality Check utility — A component that allows you to compare source and target text and search for generic differences, or user-defined patterns. For example, it will find if there is the same number of '%s' codes in the source and the target text, or if the translation for a given source term occurs in the translated text, etc.

See the Components and Applications pages for more examples.

Participation

The Okapi project is hosted on SourceForge.net, a repository of open source software. Anyone is welcome to join and offer contributions. You can do this many different ways. For example, by:

• using the various Okapi components and applications and reporting bugs and issues
• providing feedback, corrections and suggestions on the documentation and the specifications
• suggesting improvements to the existing material or recommending new developments

In addition, if you have the appropriate skills for some of the current work being done, you can also participate directly in the development of Okapi libraries, components, and applications, or in developing help and documentation. For more information on this topic, please contact the Okapi Framework administrator.

See also the Credits section for more information on the contributions to Okapi.

Project Architecture

The Okapi Framework is organized around the following parts:

• Interface Specifications
  Okapi's components and applications communicate through several common API sets: the interfaces. A few of them are defined as high-level specifications. Implementing these interfaces allows you to seamlessly plug new components in the overall framework.
  - See the Interface Specifications page for more information.

• Format Specifications
  Storing and exchanging data is an important part of the localization process. Using open standards for as many formats as possible increases interoperability. Whenever possible the Okapi Framework make use of existing standards.
  - See the Formats Specifications page for more information.

• Components
  While providing specifications is a good first step, providing implementations of these specifications makes a more significant impact on the use of the framework. This is why the Okapi Framework also includes a growing set of components. Some are basic and low-level parts that can be re-used when programming more high-level components, while others are plug-ins that can be used directly in scripts or applications.
  - See the Components page for more information.

• Applications
  Lastly, the Okapi Framework also provides end-user applications that can be utilized out-of-the-box. These tools are making use of the Okapi components and provide ready-made platforms for plugging in your own components.
  - See the Applications page for more information.

Licensing

The material developed under the Okapi Framework project is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License agreement (GNU LGPL). This is one of the licenses approved by the Free Software Foundation.

In summary, the GNU Lesser General Public License is designed to ensure that the code, as written by the author, must always remain free. However, the library where the code is contained in may be used and linked by non-free applications.

You can read the complete text of the license on the GNU Web site, and find more information on the Wikipedia's article on LGPL.

Credits

Open source software can exist only because of the resources provided by some people and companies:

• ENLASO Corporation has donated a large portion of the .NET implementation of the Okapi Framework, and provides resources in all areas of the project.
• End-users (localization engineers, developers, translators, and project managers), especially the one actively involved in the Okapi Tools users group mailing list, supply valuable feedback, ideas, bug reports, and other contributions to the project.
• Brooks Kline did the Okapi Framework logo.
• The Project's Team members are contributing time and ongoing efforts to the cause.