Windows XP Language Interface Packs (LIPs) -

Windows XP
Language Interface Packs (LIPs) Localized OSs for the Masses
Russ Rolfe
Program Manager
Agenda

XP international support in general

Multilingual User Interface (MUI)

Language Interface Packs (LIPs)

Resources

Questions
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Windows XP International
Support

25 fully localized versions of the Operating
System

All versions of Windows XP are built from
a single, Unicode-based, worldwide source…

…and share the exact same out-of-the-box
multilingual functionality:



Input, edit, display in hundreds of languages
Support for 120+ locales
Text Services Framework (Windows XP)

Advanced text input methods for speech,
handwriting, etc
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Quiz
Which version of Windows 2000/XP can be
used to type Japanese in notepad?
1.
2.
3.
The Japanese localized version of the OS
Any version of Win2000/XP
Only The Multilanguage UI (MUI) version
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More International Support
Requested

Allow users to choose the language in which
they work.

Allow IT administrators to support such
users independent of location

Language is just a setting
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MUI (Multilingual User Interface)
– What it was originally

Introduced in Windows 2000

Package of resources that allows other UI
languages to be installed on US English

Allows multiple UI languages to be use on
the same machine

Created from localized versions of the OS

Windows XP offers 33 MUI languages,
includes English
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MUI Version Scenario
PAST
Needed to deploy:
To support:
English users
English OS
Arabic users
Arabic OS
Japanese users
Japanese OS
Big burden to deploy
and maintain:
3 different versions
of the operating
system
3 different service
packs
3 different release
schedules
NOW
To support:
Need to deploy:
English users
Arabic users
Japanese users
Windows XP
MUI
Version
Deploy & maintain:
• 1 Version
• 1 Service pack
• 1 Release schedule
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MUI -- Meets User Request

Allows user to switch UI language on single
machine

Changes system messages, dialogs, menus,
help files, etc. display language.

Allows different language users to share
same machine (bi-lingual, multilingual)

Allows users to roam to different machine
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MUI – Meets Administrators
Requests

Testing, deploying, and supporting one OS
worldwide

Deploying same SP/hot-fix, 0 delta

Provide tech support in a preferred
language
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Localized Versions vs. MUI

The User Interface resources are fully localized.

MUI does not localize:





INF files
UI strings stored in the registry
Code-page based components such as Hyperterminal
Windows 2000 (90%) – Windows XP (97%)
Windows Setup information customized for the
specific language/country.

Items such as:




User locale,
Keyboard layout,
System locale etc
This is a policy setting with the MUI
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Localized Versions vs. MUI

Additional country specific device drivers added
in the East Asian versions only.


Since MUI is English-OS based, localized specific
device drivers not available.
Support for upgrades

Localized Versions -> Localized Windows XP




Windows 9X
Windows 2000
MUI only supports upgrades from English versions.
MUI only supported in XP Professional & .NET
Server (also Windows 2000 Pro & Server)
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Quiz
Which is not true about MUI versions of
Windows XP?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Help files localized
Based on English version Windows
Translations are different than localized
versions
Not required for multilingual input
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Application Compatibility

Generally, any well-behaved localized
application will run on Windows XP

World-ready applications (Unicode enabled,
etc) will ‘just work’ on any language version
of Windows XP

Code-page based applications (nonUnicode) require the ‘Language for nonUnicode programs’ setting to match the
appropriate language
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Language for non-Unicode
Programs (or System Locale)
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Language for non-Unicode
Programs (or System Locale)

Required by code-page based applications

Per system (not per user),
requires reboot to change

Limited to one language at a time

Cannot easily run a Japanese code-page
based order-tracking application along with a
Russian code-page database application

Not easy for users of different non-Unicode
language version applications to share
computers
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MUI Aware Applications

Office XP

Internet Explorer 6.0

Develop your own

A set of NLS APIs let applications query
installed UI languages and current UI language
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Quiz
APIs exists to allow developers to create
MUI aware applications.
1.
2.
True
False
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MUI meets Users and
Administrators requirements

Allow users to choose the language in which
they work.

Allow administrators to support such users
independent of location

Language is just a setting
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New International Requirement

Localized versions for emerging markets

Roadblock


Revenues not large enough to cover cost of
localization
Solution


Partial MUI implementations that provide a low
cost, reasonable quality Windows localization
Language Interface Packs (LIPs)
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Language Interface Packs (LIP)

How much to localize?


20-80 rule
Which 20% of the UI is used 80% of the time?

Desktop Features




Internet Explorer
Windows Media Player
Outlook Express
Windows Address Book
Other Features




Taskbar & Properties
Control Panel
Components


Start Menu & Submenus
Windows Explorer
Program Manager
Update Driver Wizard
Screensavers
Task Manager
Remote Desktop
Games
Help & Support Center content

Main content remains unlocalized.
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LIP Pros and Cons

Pros

Less to Localize means:




Quicker to market
Lower costs
Less disk space
Cons

Not everything localized
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Quiz
Which component is not localized in a
Language Interface Pack?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Games
Network Connections
Address Book
Remote Desktop
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Availability

Current Languages Covered




Estonian
Romanian
Thai
Catalan
LIP



Croatian
Lithuanian
Slovenian
Newly Released


Bulgarian
Latvian
Slovak
Acquired through regional OEMs
On 5th CD of MUI package
MUI



Sold via Microsoft Open License Program (MOLP),
Select, and Enterprise Agreement
OEMs
Available to developers through MSDN subscription
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Localized OSes for the Masses

LIP


MUI


Workable solution for emerging markets
Manageable Multilingual UI for users and
international organizations
Ultimate Goal

English is just another language UI
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Resources

GlobalDev, portal to internationa lization


Developing International Software


http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev
Chapter on MUI and MUI aware
applications
E-mail us:

Dr. International ([email protected])
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