To use labels

Using labels instead of plain text has these advantages:

  • Improved standardization: a single label is used by all software components
  • Easier software maintenance: the layout of forms, reports, and menus becomes language-independent
  • Easy and fast translation: the label description is translated only once
  • Enhanced customization facilities: changes in the central label file have effect on all the packages
  • The alignment of a label (left or right) on multi-occurrence forms and reports is linked to the alignment of the associated table field

For example, with labels you can display and print the text in the correct language on:

  • Forms
  • Reports
  • Menus

For each label you define:

  • The label code, which identifies the label.
  • The label description that can be translated into different languages.

You can specify multiple descriptions with different lengths or heights for a label. For more information, see To define label length and label height.

To link text to a label

Click Edit Text. You can select this type of text:

Technical documentation

If a text is present, Tools displays the text. If no text is present, you can create it.

The documentation is stored by language, package VRC, and label code. Labels with the same language, package VRC, and label code, but with different heights and lengths, have the same documentation.

To translate labels into another language

Copy the labels to the other language. Ensure that you work in the other language. Translate the label descriptions.

For more information, see the Tools Translation manual and the Translation tools Help.