Using Siebel Tools > Localizing Strings and Locale Data > Configuring Symbolic Strings >

Overview of Configuring Symbolic Strings

A symbolic string is an object that you can use to store the value of a string. It allows you to define a string one time, and then reference it from multiple objects. An object can reference this symbolic string to get a literal value, and then display it as text in the Siebel client. For example, an applet can reference a symbolic string to get the text it displays in a control caption, a list column display name, or an applet title.

A translatable string is a type of string that Siebel CRM can translate to another language. For example, it can translate the text string that defines a control label from English to French.

The symbolic string centralizes all the strings that exist in the repository. It includes strings in English and all other languages. It includes the following advantages:

• Reduces redundancy because many objects can reference one symbolic string
• Results in a more consistent user interface
• Simplifies maintenance because you are required to maintain only one string for a word or phrase
• Eliminates duplicate translations of the same word
• Reduces translation costs

Siebel CRM cannot translate a nontranslatable property to another language. For example, the HTML Sequence property, HTML Height property, and HTML Width property are nontranslatable properties.

If you compile to the repository, then Siebel Tools uses the current language mode that you set for Siebel Tools. It uses this language mode to choose from one of several translations that exist for a set of symbolic string locale records. For more information, see Compiling Your Modifications.

Symbolic Strings in the Object Hierarchy

The Symbolic String object type is a top-level object type. it includes the child Symbolic String Locale object type. Each symbolic string represents a word or phrase that is language independent. For example:

Account

Siebel CRM stores all translations of this word or phrase, including English, as a symbolic string locale. For information about top-level object types, see Displaying Object Types in the Object Explorer.

Siebel Tools stores data for a symbolic string in the S_SYM_STR (symbolic strings) table. It stores data for a symbolic string locale in the S_SYM_STR_INTL (Repository Symbolic String Locale) table. Objects that reference symbolic strings store foreign key references to these strings in the S_SYM_STR table.

Symbolic strings do not include other types of strings that Siebel CRM typically includes as seed data, such as LOVs, error messages, or predefined queries. For more information about localizing these types of strings, see Fixing Orphaned String References After an Upgrade.

How Siebel Tools Determines a Translatable String

Siebel Tools does the following to compile an object property that displays a translatable string, such as the Title property of an applet:

• If a value exists in the string language that the compile uses, then it compiles this string override value.
• If the string override field for the current language mode that you set in Siebel Tools does not include a string value, then Siebel Tools uses the current language mode and the String Value property of the associated symbolic string locale to determine the value.

In most situations, a string override does not exist. For more information, see Entering a String Override.

How Some Early Releases Store Translatable Strings

Some early releases of Siebel Tools store translatable strings in the locale objects of a parent object type. For example, each applet includes a set of child locale records that define the text for the applet title that Siebel CRM displays in the Siebel client.