Oscar:

Your subject is an interesting point linked with the software of computers.

The normal translation of “string” is “cadena”. The translation of “string” as “cadena” is common for professional programmers and analysts who translate the words from English to Spanish and also in academic environments.

In the technical environment, some people never translate “software”. Me, I analyze each case and after that I decide. Why? Because, the word “software” implies a lot of subjects related to the computers. And when we say “software”, “software”…, “software”, in the end we don’t know about what we are talking. In this particular case, it is possible to translate “software” as “programas” or “programación”.

I would like to explain the reason of my previous statements. In the technical jargon of the programmers of applications, the expression: “software strings” is a short way to reference: “strings of programs.” Normally, when you develop an “application system” (for an example: an economic forecast of a new business project), you create a series of programs and reuse routines and programs from others. After that, you have to create “string¨ of programs, routines and instructions to make possible the “process” or “execution” of this application.

This way of work come from the times of the IBM 360 and it is valid till now because when you work with Java apps you have to put all the utility routines, macros and your own programs in a “string”. It is a procedure to generate a sequence of operations in a determined order. For example, the “software” cannot print some information in the printer before it read this information from one storage or other devices.

After all these explanations, I would suggest you three alternative translations:

1) “cadenas de software” (if you don’t want to translate “software”)
2) “cadenas de programas” (from my point of view, the best translation).
3) “cadenas de programación”

If you want to write “software strings” without translation, you don’t need me!!!

I hope with this explanation, I could help you in your work.

Thank you,

Domingo Trassens


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2012-05-04 13:54:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Marina Soldati: Sorry I cannot continue this discussion now because I am in Germany and in this time I have other obligations. Personally, I feel very disappointed to make efforts without sense, but maybe tomorrow I will review again the case and see if I can help with some ideas. As you know, I lives US and sometimes in Germany and my times run...
Regards
Domingo Trassens