Contents
Problem statement ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Investigate..................................................................................................................................................... 2
Determine requirements .............................................................................................................................. 4
Possible Solution ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Planning document ....................................................................................................................................... 6
Problem statement
Every year thousands of tourists comes to visit South Africa and many of them want to learn a new
language(mostly South African languages).I am going to create a Translation program that will Translate
basic phrases and words into a given language. There will be three languages too choose from .e. g
Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu. The user will be able to select a phrase or enter a word. The Software is aimed at
providing the correct translation of a term and a brief explanation in the required language. The
advantage of this program will be for helping tourists understand the local people better and learn a
new language. The program will give the User the correct phrase/word of the selected language in
English. The program will also correct some spelling.
Investigate
The software will include a translate machine that will translate English words into a selected language.
There will be an option available named Check spelling, this option will check the user’s spelling and
underline the spelling that’s incorrect. The program will not give the synonyms of the translated words,
it will also not be able to do language terminology in another language. It will be able to help the User to
learn the basic phrases of the selected language easily and translate words into the selected language.
The process used in the absence of software is paper based. The limitations of this is, when you want to
check for any problems in your code before executing the program it is a little impossible, because
sooner or later you will make a mistake. The biggest challenge is when you want to check if everything is
in place with the program and does not have the software to do so.
The main key area to be addressed and solved is the translate machine. It must be able to translate a
word from English to a word in any of the selected languages. If I am going to write a Translating
program that would translate any word from English to any word in the selected language, it would take
hundreds of hours so I’m only going too write a program that will translate the basic words and phrases.
Demographics:
Age: ALL
Genre: Male & Female
Disability: If the User is Disabled and knows how a computer works and can interact with a
computer via mouse and keyboard, then this program would be suitable for the User.
Literacy level: The User must be able to operate a computer and know how to read.
Minimum System requirements: A working computer running on windows XP,VISTA,7.
Recourses:
http://www.delphibasics.co.uk
http://delphi.about.com
http://www.thutong.doe.gov.za/informationtechnology/InformationTechnology/tabid/1151/Default.as
px
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_Pascal
Enjoy Delphi :
Title:
Enjoy Delphi – a guide to problem solving and programing.
Authors:
Annete Bezuidenhout
Keith Gibson
Chris Noome
Ulza Wassermann
Malie Zeeman
Publish date:
April-2005
Volume:
1&2
Evidence of investigation:
There will be a translator in the program that will allow you to translate a word from English to
any of the selected languages.
The process used when software is not available is paper based.
The problem to be addressed is the translator.
It will only translate a few and selected words and phrases.
Determine requirements
The end user needs translation software that can do the following:
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Translate the basic phrases and words of another language.
Must be easy to operate.
The program must be quick to learn
Must be accessible too any one.
No hidden information (Documents and software that is hard to find in the software).
Must run on most operating systems e. g Win XP,Vista,7.
The main target group are tourists, because the aim of this software is too learn tourists from different
countries to learn and understand South African languages . The user must or can use my program for
learning porpoises. Ex. If he/she wants to learn a new language. This program lacks to give the subject
terminology of the languages. It also lacks a huge potential of information ,the software doesn’t show
all of the basic phrases.
Similar systems:
Google translate: This system works by giving the user two combo boxes. The User can choose from the
1st combo box his preferred language, in the second combo box the user can choose the language he
wants to translate too. Then there’s a button named Translate. The translation also takes place
automatically. The Google translation use a complex system that does a full translation based on best
match. Many users constantly enhance the Google translator.
Inputs:
Words that are translated must be accurate.
Program must run without errors.
Must be User friendly.
Outputs:
Correct word will be translated for the correct word given.
Cannot be 100% sure if program will be without errors.
It depends on the user’s literacy level. The program will be as User friendly as possible.
Evidence to be submitted:
Photograph of the current system:
Google translate is the only current system I know of that is free. (Requires Revising)
Questionnaires:
Can the program deliver
Will it be easy to execute the program
Will it be user friendly
Will the program be easy to understand
Possible Solution
Questions:
The questions that comes up the most is: Will the program be highly educational? will it allow the user
to learn languages fast and easy? What is the main purpose of the program?
Brief solution:
The program only has a limited amount of information that the user can use, meaning that only
chosen phrases and words has been inserted into the software. The program allows the user
too learn, but it depends how fast the user can learn. The main purpose is to learn tourists from
other countries to learn a South African language or two, then the user will be able to
understand the native speakers better.
Planning document
You start by describing what you need to develop your program. You need Delphi 7 or above. Database
technology. Books needed for translation. Source of information.
The you go on by creating a project plan. Ex. Development Phase 1: Getting software and planning
design, Development Phase 2: Creating, Coding the program. Prototype only. Development Phase 3: The
actual coding of your prototype and improvement of it. Development Phase 4: Implementation and
Testing.
You may include screenshots of your GUI here and flow diagrams.
Books and links used for Translation:
o
o
o
The South African Zulu dictionary Must I also give The names of the authors etc?
Oxford Dictionary
http://translate.google.co.za/translate_t?q=t&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wT#fr|af|
Developing tools :
o
Code gear rad studio(Delphi 7)
Database used :
o
USB flash drive
Development Phase1 :
Started with a problem statement then went on by investigating the problem and finding a brief
solution. Afterwards I determined the requirements of the software and studied similar systems that is
the most similar to my program. Must I give more info and all of the phases?
Example of GUI:
Does this look right?
Flow diagram:
Please check if this is right my books doesn’t give a good example of flow diagrams.