How to Best Utilize HTML5 for Multilingual Websites

PRLog (Press Release) - Dec. 20, 2012 - If your organization has multilingual websites and a large number of mobile device users (http://www.merrillbrink.com/telecom-and-mobile-translations.htm), adopting the HTML5 markup language could be an important move for your business. Many companies are already deploying it to better manage their websites. In fact, HTML5 is “coming on strong as a standard,” noted Daryl Taft of eWeek.1  

Why? According to Ian Jacobs, recommendations editor for the World Wide Web (W3C) Consortium, “There are two driving forces behind this evolution. First is the proliferation of diverse devices that, coupled with the variety of browsers, greatly complicate life for developers, who want to ‘write once and deploy everywhere.’” Second, he says, “the Web has now embraced the social networking model, and when you can tap into that, you can reach many more customers.”2

So how does HTML5 fit into this movement? It makes development across multiple platforms more efficient. “Developers of software for the World Wide Web (http://www.merrillbrink.com/website-localization.htm) say the new HTML5 standard is revolutionizing the way the Web evolves, works and is used,” noted technology writer Gary Anthes, “It is simplifying the work of programmers, harmonizing access to diverse devices and applications, and giving users amazing new capabilities, they say.”  

Easier Content Maintenance for Multiple Devices

One clear advantage of HTML5 is that it is supported by all tablets and smartphones, and a growing number of browsers, (although Internet Explorer® pre-8 versions are not compatible). Given this compatibility, businesses whose customers rely on mobile devices are leading the way in adopting HTML5. Forbes, for example, uses HTML5 to support its growing mobile audience. “Using a technology known as HTML5, our trusted Web content is magically reformatted for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets,” noted Lewis D’Vorkin, Chief Product Office at Forbes Media.3

Enhanced Multilingual Support (http://www.merrillbrink.com/language-services.htm)

HTML5 also includes new markup features that directly help the website translation process (http://www.merrillbrink.com/website-testing-localization.htm), improving formatting and making multilingual web content easier to understand. For example:

·         HTML5 supports a more semantic style of markup that allows for meaningful tags, and simpler, more understandable coding when dealing with multilingual content. For example, HTML5 users can apply a new attribute - a simple “no” or “yes” code - to direct their translation partner as to which content to work on. This eliminates the previously drawn-out process of annotation or list making.

·         HTML5 makes it easier to handle both left-to-right languages like English, and right-to-left languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. Using other tools, developers often come across formatting problems, particularly when both kinds of languages are featured side by side. HTML5 includes a new ‘bdi’ element to help authors of bi-directional content override the Unicode algorithm that sometimes results in mistakes in punctuation, numbers and bullet points.

·         HTML5 offers an enhanced version of ‘ruby’ annotations commonly used when marking up East Asian languages (http://www.merrillbrink.com/localization-services.htm) that use characters. The markup is usually used to help explain pronunciation to readers. The new HTML5 tags are helpful when authoring content and in translation from, or into, non-alphabetical languages.

One best practice is to partner with a translation provider that specializes in website, software and multimedia localization and internationalization. Choose a provider who is adept at working with HTML code and has experience in translating a wide range of online material, multimedia content and software. This will help you to derive the very greatest benefit from this exciting new markup language.

References:

1 Taft, Darryl. “Five Key Enterprise Development Trends,” eWeek, December 4, 2012. http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Five-Key-Enterprise-Development-Trends-819318/

2 Anthes, Gary. “HTML5 Leads a Web Revolution,” Communications of the ACM, July 2012.

3 D’Vorkin, Lewis. “The Forbes Branded Experience,” Forbes, August 20, 2012.

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Merrill Brink International (www.merrillbrink.com) is a leading provider of complete translation and language solutions for global companies and law firms, with special expertise in serving the legal, financial, life sciences, software, heavy machinery and corporate markets. A proven leader with more than 30 years of experience, Merrill Brink offers a wide range of language solutions including translation, localization, desktop publishing and globalization services.

Merrill Brink is recognized in the industry for its commitment to quality and its pioneering approach of leveraging technology to reduce costs, eliminate redundant processes and accelerate translation life cycles. Merrill Brink is certified to ISO 9001:2008; ISO 27001:2005 and ISO 13485:2003, and registered to EN 15038:2006 and ISO 14971:2007. Together, these standards provide assurance that the most stringent process and quality standards for translation are followed. Merrill Brink International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Merrill Corporatio