To end this list of recommendations,
it was considered a good idea to offer companies
the possibility of using a style guide which
brings together all the agreements on criteria
adopted with regard to questions of localization
of the site in various languages.
The style guide is a document with
specific instructions on different aspects
of the style of the web site. It
can be useful to the web manager in the
following cases:
For coordination between
two or more web managers taking
part in the creation, translation
and updating of the web site.
So that the web managers
can supply this guide to their
collaborators in the preparation
of the web site and be sure
that the style will be correct
and coherent.
To avoid linguistic
discordance between different
versions of the same web.
The style guide can include the questions
set out below. The decisions on each question
will be taken by the company according to
its own interests.
Technical questions:
Instructions on the
structure of directories and
archives
Instructions on managing
the archives
Tools for creation of
the web site
Format questions:
Information on the format
and design that the web manager
considers have to be included
in a document for consulting
the company
Styles of titles, paragraphs,
lists, numbering, etc.
Linguistic questions:
Type of language of
the site (formal, informal,
direct, sophisticated, etc.)
Styles of translation
of the different elements of
the page: buttons, menus, names
of links, text of graphics,
etc.
List of acronyms and
abbreviations appearing in the
original text, where the translators
may not know what they mean.
Manner of expressing
quantities (units of measure,
currencies, etc.)
Use of upper case and
lower case
Punctuation rules
Glossary of terms appearing
in the web
etc.
Questions of cultural adaptation:
Determine what
has to be done about information
on contacts (telephone numbers
and addresses), prices, offers,
localized graphics (flags, photographs
of specific places, etc.) which
have been translated into different
languages.
Resources for linguistic consultation in Catalan:
Free on-line consultancy
service at Termcat (www.termcat.cat)
