Multilanguage application data

If your LN system uses the Unicode character set, you can run multiple languages of the LN software, such as Chinese, English, and French in one LN environment. Also, you can enable LN to store shared application data in multiple languages. This is useful if users from all over the globe are using the same environment. Depending on the user’s software language, the application data can also be displayed in the same language. If a report for a business partner is printed, the layout and data of the report are in the business partner’s language.

To store shared application data in multiple languages, you must configure Multilanguage Fields Support. For details, refer to the following section.

Note

You can only configure Multilanguage Fields Support for fields of the Multibyte String data type.

To support all languages available for LN in one environment, you must install LN in Unicode mode. Unicode is the standard for multilanguage support and provides a unique code for each character regardless of the language.

Language types

The following language types exist:

Software LanguageThe language in which the software components, such as forms and reports, are displayed. For each user, the default software language is defined in the LN user data.
Data LanguageThe language in which the application data is displayed. Data languages are linked to users and software languages.
Base LanguageThe fallback language used to display application data.

LN uses the following fallback mechanism:

  1. LN displays the application data in the data language specified in your user data.
  2. If no data language is specified in your user data, LN displays the application data in the data language linked to your software language.
  3. If no data language is linked to your software language, LN displays the application data in the base language.

 

ISO standards

In Infor Enterprise Server versions prior to 8.4.1, the coding of data languages is based on the ISO 639-2 standard. However, this standard is not sufficient for coding languages such as Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese.

To support these languages, language coding in Infor Enterprise Server 8.4.1 and higher is done according to the ISO standards used for Java programs. A data language code consists of:

  • A language code based on the ISO 639-1 standard.
  • Optional: a country code based on the ISO 3166-1 standard.

The language code and the country code are separated by an underscore (_).

For example:

Data LanguageDescription
deGerman
en_GBEnglish_UNITED KINGDOM
en_USEnglish_UNITED STATES
heHebrew
itItalian
jaJapanese
nlDutch; Flemish
pt_BRPortuguese_BRAZIL
pt_PTPortuguese_PORTUGAL
zh_CNChinese_CHINA (Simplified)
zh_TWChinese_TAIWAN (Traditional)

 

Important!

To use the new Enterprise Server 8.4.1 coding standards, a migration can be required for data languages created in earlier Enterprise Server versions. For details, refer to the Specific Installation Guide - Updates (U9497 US), chapter To migrate Data Langauages.

Configuration

To support multilanguage fields, LN must be installed in Unicode mode. You can choose the Unicode character set in the LN Installation Wizard.

For more information on the prerequisites for a Unicode installation, refer to the Technical Notes.

Important!

Before you start the configuration of Multilanguage Fields Support, it is recommended you create a backup of the application data. For example, you can extract your application data through the Create Sequential Dump of Table (ttaad4226m000) session, or you can create a backup through the backup tools in your RDBMS.

To configure Multilanguage Fields Support
Step 1. Enable support for Multilanguage Fields

To enable support for Multilanguage Fields, complete the following steps:

  1. Start the Parameters Multi Language Support (ttadv4106m000) session.
  2. Configure Multibyte and Unicode, and perform the required steps for this configuration. See the instructions displayed in the session's window.
  3. Select the Multi Language Fields Support check box.
  4. Save the changes and close the session.
Step 2. Define data languages

To define data languages, complete the following steps:

  1. Start the Data Languages (ttaad1111m000) session.
  2. Define the desired data languages. A data language consists of an ISO 639-1 language code and, optionally, an ISO 3166-1 country code. You can zoom to the ISO 639 Languages (ttaad1512m000) session and the ISO 3166-1 Countries (ttaad1513m000) session.
  3. Define the base language: Select a data language and, on the appropriate menu, click Make Base Language.

    Note: The base language is used as a fall back language. Application data is displayed in the base language if both of the following scenarios occur:

    • No data language is defined in the user data of an LN user.
    • No data language is linked to the user's software language.
  4. Convert the data languages to the runtime data dictionary. On the appropriate menu, click Convert Data Languages to Runtime. The conversion process generates the $BSE/lib/data_langs file.

    Important:

    • Only perform this step if you are sure you no longer want to change the base language. See the restrictions listed in the online help of the Data Languages (ttaad1111m000) session.
    • During the conversion to runtime, all users must be logged off.
    • When the conversion to runtime has finished, you must restart the LN environment.
  5. Close the session.

Data Languages have a status that is used to control their life cycle. For details, refer to "Life cycle of a data language" in the online help of the Data Languages (ttaad1111m000) session.

Step 3. Link data languages to software languages

You must link data languages to the corresponding software languages.

To link a data language to a software language, complete the following steps:

  1. Start the Software Languages (ttaad1510m000) session.
  2. To start the Software Languages (ttaad1110s000) session, double-click a software language. In the Data Language field, enter the desired data language.

    Note:

    • You can zoom to the Data Languages (ttaad1111m000) session.
    • You can only select data languages with status "Base Language" and "Available".
    • If you leave the Data Language field blank, LN displays the application data in the data language defined in the user data of an LN user, or in the base language.
  3. Save the changes and close the sessions.

To ensure that application software and application data are displayed in the same language, link the data languages to the software languages.

Step 4. Register Multilanguage Tables and Table Fields

Register the tables and table fields that must be multilanguage enabled.

For all package combinations you want to be multilanguage-enabled, complete the following steps:

  1. Start the Registered Tables with Multi Language Fields (ttadv4137m000) session.
  2. Select a package combination.
  3. Add the tables you want to be Multilanguage Enabled.
  4. Double-click a table. The Registered Multi Language Fields (ttadv4138m000) session starts.
  5. For each field you want to be multilanguage enabled, select the Enabled check box.
  6. Save the changes and close the sessions.
Step 5. Convert to runtime

To convert the multilanguage settings to the runtime data dictionary, complete the following steps:

  1. Start the Convert to Runtime Data Dictionary (ttadv5215m000) session.
  2. Select the Tables check box and the Reconfigure Tables check box.
  3. For package combinations, packages, and tables, enter the appropriate selection ranges.
  4. Click Convert to Runtime.
Note

Optionally, start the User Data (ttaad2500m000) session, and define a data language per user. The data language specified in the user data takes precedence over the data language linked to a software language. For more information, refer to "Language types" earlier in this section.

Data translation

When a user inserts new records, the multilanguage field descriptions are stored in the user's data language. LN automatically copies the new field descriptions to the other data languages. These descriptions must be translated to ensure that all users who are running another data language code can read the new fields in their own language.

It is recommended to assign dedicated users to perform the data translation; these users must be authorized to switch between different data languages.

To ensure that a user can switch to another data language, you must select the Switch Data Languages check box in the user's user data template properties ( User Data Template (ttams1110m000) session).

Web UI and Worktop users can switch to another data language:

Web UI userOn the Options menu, click Infor ERP Options. Subsequently, click Change Data Language.
Worktop userOn the Tools menu, click Change Data Language.

 

Insertion and translation process

The steps that you must take to translate multilanguage field descriptions depend on the data language the new records are entered in. See the following sample scenarios:

Scenario 1: A user works in the base language and inserts a record
  1. When the user inserts a record, the descriptions of the multilanguage-enabled table fields are inserted in the base language code, and are automatically copied to all other linked data languages.
  2. For each table involved, you must run the Print Multi Language Application Data (ttadv4438m000) session. The session prints a report that shows the records that must be translated to other languages.
  3. Switch to the other data language(s) and translate the descriptions of these records.
Scenario 2: A user works in another language and inserts a record
  1. When the user inserts a record, the descriptions of the multilanguage enabled table fields are inserted in the other language code, and are automatically copied to all other available data languages and the base language.
  2. For each table involved, you must run the Print Multi Language Application Data (ttadv4438m000) session. The session prints a report that shows the records that must be translated.
  3. Switch to the base language and translate the descriptions of these records to the base language. The translated descriptions are automatically copied from the base language code to all other available data language codes except the language code in which the records were created first.
  4. Run the Print Multi Language Application Data (ttadv4438m000) session again for each table involved . The session prints a report that shows the records that must be translated from the base language to other languages.

  5. Switch to the other data language(s) and translate the descriptions of these records.

    You must also check whether the descriptions stored in the original language code, that is, the language code in which the records were created, are still correct.

    To remove the corresponding records in the check report, save a dummy change of these descriptions .