Language Modules and Translations

Visit often for the most current information on language files for Ancestral Quest

Information as of 9/27/2017

• Both Danish and German are available with full translations including the help files. (Danish requires a fee to acquire.) French, Spanish and Norwegian translations are complete except for the help files -- all screens and reports are translated. (These translations are free.) Chinese (Traditional), Finnish, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese and Swedish are partially translated -- the most commonly used screens and reports have been translated, but the translation is not complete. (These translations are free.) You can download most of these language modules directly from within AQ. Click here for instructions.
• If you create a translation file, and wish Incline Software to publicize it on this page, please contact us at support@ancquest.com.

To Create a Language File:

• Under the Tools menu, go to Language > New Language File
• In the Language box, select the language for which you wish to translate. This can be any language, including English. Any translation files already installed on your machine for that language will appear in the Installed Language Files box.
• If you have chosen any language except for English (United States), simply type in a brief name or description in the Enter Name of New File box. Then click the Create button.
• If you have chosen the English (United States) language, you will notice that there is always a preinstalled language file named *Ancestral Quest Native Translation. You cannot overwrite this file. It is the English translation that is built into AQ. All other translation files are based on this file. If you wish to create an alternate English Translation (so that you can change some English words or phrases), you will want to type a different name in the Enter Name of New File field, then click on Create.

To Select a Language File:

There are two methods for selecting a language module. The easiest method is to select the language from the dropdown box in the main screen of the program. Click here for instructions. Alternately, follow these instructions:

• Under the Tools menu, go to Language > Select Language File
• If you have received a language file from another user, or over the Internet or through some other means (once these become available), click on Install another language file… Once you browse for and locate that language file, AQ will move it to the appropriate location, so that in the future it will show up in the list of translation files.
• Select a language from the Language dropdown list. Any translation files already installed on your machine for that language will appear in the Installed Language Files box.
• Highlight a language file from the list.
• Click the Select button. Until you change this selection to something else, this selected file will determine which language is used by Ancestral Quest. (If you select any language file other than the Native language file, you will see the description of the file in Ancestral Quest's title bar.)
• Note that if you choose the *Ancestral Quest Native Translation file, you cannot edit this file. You can edit any other Translation file.
• Warning: You may receive a translation file from someone else – you may even pay for such a file. AQ will not stop you from editing any language file except for the Native translation. Make such changes at your own risk.

To Edit (or Translate) a Language File:

• Under the Tools menu, go to Language > Edit (Translate) Language File
• If you have not yet selected a language file other than AQ's native language, this option will not be available. You will need to either create a new language file or select one to be able to edit it.
• With the Translate from Original English… screen up, you can work on changes to the selected file. Following are some guidelines:
  • Many screens have a combination of the actual screen (with various labels to be edited), and of other supporting text that may be shown on the screen. In order to fully translate a screen to another language, you will need to translate both the screen and its associated text.
  • Reports are simply a collection of various pieces of text. If you use the default option, we have grouped pieces of text together under the name of a report. Sometimes, when a text phrase is used by more than one report, it is not shown under all report groups – it may be shown only with one or two of the reports to which it is associated. If you have translated all the text for a report, and then find that some text has not yet been translated, you may want to change your options to show all the text phrases in a single alphabetical list – this should help you locate the text to translate.
  • We have tried to group screens together, with supporting screens underneath a more major screen. If you have trouble finding a particular screen, try changing the options to show the screens in a single alphabetized list.
  • If you edit a text phrase, then are not sure that you have captured the meaning correctly, you can usually show the original English version of the text, or even reset the text back to the original English.
  • Many, if not all, of the text phrases have a limited space in which they can fit. We have optimized AQ for the native English, and in many cases tried to provide just a little extra room in case the translated text requires more space that the English. If your edited text does not fit, you will need to choose alternate phrasing, or abbreviate.
  • When a text phrase is unclear as to what it means, AQ has the ability to provide guidance. For example, you may simple see the letter “B”, which might be used for “Birth” or “Burial”. If you come to an unclear text phrase, send us a note at support@ancquest.com, and we'll try to provide a description in the next build of AQ.
  • Sometimes a text phrase on a screen is ALWAYS replaced by other text. In these cases, AQ can hide this phrase so you don't have to translate it. If you come across a phrase on a screen which, after translating it, never shows as you translated it, send us a note at support@ancquest.com, and we'll hide this in the next build of AQ.
  • If you are unclear about any part of this translation process, please e-mail us at support@ancquest.com, and we'll try to address the concern.
  • Some screens and text phrases are not intended to be translated. We have blocked these.