Long, Short, and Override Translations

For phrases, you can have three types of translations: long, short, and override. Long and short translations are useful for when different forms allot a different amount of space for the same phrase. Long translations are the translations you want to appear when the form has more space allotted for the phrase. Short translations are the translations you want used when less space is available. Override translations are translations that apply only to a single form.

Note that you can have long and short translations for a language, long and short override translations for a form for a language, and long and short translations for a dialect. (You cannot have override translations that apply to a dialect.)

When long and short translations exist for a phrase, the system first tries to use the long translation. When translations exist for both a language and a dialect, for users with that dialect in their user profile, the system first tries to use the dialect translation. When override translations exist for a form, the Lawson system first tries to use the override translations. If all the translations for a phrase are too long, the system uses the U. S. English phrase.

Example

Assume that your user profile specifies a locale whose language is Swiss German and Swiss German has been set up as a dialect of German.

  • If space is available to display the Swiss German long translation of the phrase, the system displays that translation.

  • If the Swiss German long translation is too long, the system attempts to display the Swiss German short translation.

  • If there is no Swiss German short translation or if the Swiss German short translation is too long, the system attempts to apply the German long translation.

  • If the German long translation is too long, the system attempts to apply the German short translation.

  • If there is no German short translation or if the German short translation is too long, the system uses the U. S. English phrase.