This appendix covers the following topics:
This appendix describes Multiple Language Support (MLS) and things to consider when implementing MLS with Configurator Developer and a runtime Oracle Configurator.
If you implement Multiple Language Support (MLS), you can create a Model and one or more User Interfaces in your base language, and then display the runtime UI in any language in which you do business.
Following is an overview of the process:
In Oracle Inventory, enter alternate translations for all Item descriptions.
In Configurator Developer, set Runtime Display Names to Description for both BOM and non-BOM nodes.
Extract all text from the CZ_LOCALIZED_TEXTS table, translate it into all required languages, and then re-upload the translated text to the database.
For details, see the Oracle Configurator Implementation Guide.
Unit test your User Interface in a different language.
When defining an Item in Oracle Inventory, a user can enter an alternate translation of the Item’s description in any installed language.
Each Oracle Applications installation has one base language, but can have additional installed languages. Oracle Inventory users can enter alternate translations for each Item description using that application, but the item name exists only in the base language of the Oracle Applications installation. (Oracle Inventory users cannot enter translated descriptions for Item names.)
For example, the base language of your Oracle Applications installation is English, but French, Spanish, and German are installed. When creating a new Item, an Oracle Inventory user enters the Item name and description in English, then uses the Translation window to enter alternate descriptions in French, Spanish, and German. For more information about this procedure, see the Oracle E-Business Suite User’s Guide.
When you import a BOM Model, all alternate translations for Item descriptions are also imported into the CZ schema. A Model-specific setting enables you to use this text to create UI captions when generating a User Interface in Configurator Developer. For details, see User Interface Captions.
Any text that you enter in Configurator Developer that can appear in a runtime UI is stored in the CZ_LOCALIZED_TEXTS database table. To deploy a UI in multiple languages, you must extract the text from this table, translate it into one or more other languages, and then upload the alternate translations to the database. This is described in detail in the Oracle Configurator Implementation Guide.
Depending on which language is specified at runtime, the translated text is used when unit testing a UI from Configurator Developer, or by a host application in a runtime Oracle Configurator.
Text copied into CZ_LOCALIZED_TEXTS includes:
BOM and non-BOM Model node descriptions.
Model node names are not stored in this table, and therefore are not translatable.
Rule violation and other runtime messages.
See Runtime Messages.
Unsatisfied rule messages.
See Unsatisfied Message.
User Interface captions.
Translatable Text Property values.
See Property Data Types.
For background information about Usages, see Usages.
If you implement MLS, you can enter alternate translations for Usage descriptions in Configurator Developer. For each Usage, you can enter an alternate translated description in each installed language. For example, you log into Oracle Applications as an English language user and create a Usage called Experienced User in Configurator Developer. You then save your work and log out of Oracle Applications. Later, you log into Oracle Applications as a Korean language user and edit the Experienced User Usage in Configurator Developer. You enter a new description in Korean, and then save your work.
When a Usage has descriptions in multiple languages, the description that appears depends on the language that is used when you log into Configurator Developer. In other words, the Korean description appears when you are logged in as a Korean-language user, and the English description appears when you are logged in as an English-language user. You can also view alternate translations for Usage descriptions by modifying the Languages setting in the Preferences page. For details, see Languages Setting.
Entering multiple alternate translations for a Usage’s description does not limit the Usage’s availability when unit testing or publishing a Model, or assigning the Usage to Model structure and rules in Configurator Developer.
Each alternate translation for a Usage’s description is stored as a separate record in the database. For details about the tables in the CZ schema that are related to MLS, see the Oracle Configurator Implementation Guide.
You cannot enter alternate translations for Usage names. A Usage’s name exists in only one language.
The Runtime Display Names setting in the General area of the Workbench controls how Configurator Developer generates default UI captions for all Model structure nodes. To ensure that UI captions can be translated and displayed in other languages at runtime, be sure to set this option to Description for both BOM and non-BOM nodes. For details, see Runtime Display Names.
You can specify a different source for a UI element’s caption when editing a UI. However, an element’s caption is stored in CZ_LOCALIZED_TEXTS and can be translated only if the text is derived from one of the following sources:
The DisplayName System Property (this is the default)
See Property Data Types.
A User Property whose data type is Translatable Text
See Property Data Types.
A custom text expression
See Text Expressions.
When you enter a custom text expression for a UI element’s caption, Configurator Developer copies the text to CZ_LOCALIZED_TEXTS. Therefore, the text that you enter is translatable.
Text expressions can also contain System or User Properties, but not all Properties are translatable. For example, you enter the following text expression:
If you select &Description, additional options may be available for &Name.
In this example, &Description and &Name are System Properties, but only &Description is translatable (because all node descriptions are copied to CZ_LOCALIZED_TEXTS).
When using Properties in a text expression, remember that only the following are stored in CZ_LOCALIZED_TEXTS and are therefore translatable:
&DisplayName
&Description
Any User Property whose data type is Translatable Text (for example, &Color)
For more information, see Defining a Text Expression.
The runtime Oracle Configurator uses the DisplayName System Property when creating violation and other messages. For example, if you choose to derive DisplayName from the node name, the violation message at runtime displays the name of the Feature, BOM Option Class, or Option node that caused the violation.
Oracle Configurator also uses this System Property to create the text of violation messages. You specify what text is used to create a violation message when defining rules and Resources. For details, see Violation Message.
You must manually translate any messages that Configurator Extensions display at runtime. For more information about Configurator Extensions, see Introduction to Configurator Extensions.
The Languages setting in the Preferences page controls the language in which all prompts, instructional text, and so on appear in the Configurator Developer user interface. This setting is user-specific, and displays a list of all languages that are installed at your site. To view the Preferences page, click the Preferences global link.
The Languages setting also controls which language is displayed when unit testing a generated User Interface from Configurator Developer (that is, after all required text has been translated). To view a Model in a different language at runtime, change the Languages setting in the Preferences page before launching the User Interface. See Unit Testing Using a Generated User Interface.
For more information, see Preferences.
The Languages setting does not control the language in which text that you enter appears. This language support, which includes support for data input methods, character sets, and fonts, is determined by desktop client settings. The character set of the browser is set by Oracle Applications for each session.
For more information about languages and character sets, and to learn about languages supported by Oracle E-Business Suite, see Oracle Applications Documentation Resources, on MetaLink, Oracle's technical support Web site.
If you have implemented MLS and want to use the same UI with multiple languages, be sure to thoroughly review the layout of each UI page when unit testing and then make changes as necessary in the User Interface area of the Workbench. Some changes may be needed because the organization and content of the UI may vary depending on the specified language.
For example:
The length of text descriptions can vary significantly between languages
Some languages are read from right to left, rather than left to right (for example, Arabic)
Note: Some UI elements have Start and End settings. The runtime UI uses these settings to horizontally align text based on the specified language, and to reverse the display of text if the specified language is read from right to left. For details, see Editing a User Interface.
For additional MLS installation and setup considerations related to the runtime Oracle Configurator, see the Oracle Configurator Installation Guide.
For general information about publishing, seeIntroduction to Publishing .
When creating a publication request, you use the Languages applicability parameter to control in which languages the publication can be displayed at runtime. For details, see Applicability Parameters. Running the Oracle Applications concurrent program to create the publication also copies all translated text to the target database.
When a host application that is part of the Oracle E-Business Suite launches an Oracle Configurator, the host application’s Language setting indicates the end user’s preferred language. If a publication is found for the specified language, and all other applicability parameters also match, the publication is displayed in the requested language. Otherwise, the runtime Oracle Configurator displays an error.
For example, the Language for an Oracle Order Management user’s session is set to French. When the user clicks the Configure button in the Sales Orders window, a request to view the publication in French is created and passed to the database. The publication’s Languages applicability parameter includes French, so when the configuration model and UI appears in the Oracle Configurator window, all text appears in the end user’s preferred language.
After publishing a Model, you can modify the list of languages in which a publication is available by modifying the Language applicability parameter. For example, a publication’s Language applicability parameter includes German, French, and English. You edit the publication in Configurator Developer, deselect French, and then click Apply. As a result, the publication is no longer available when an Oracle Order Management user requests the publication in French (in this case, the host application displays an error). Editing a publication is explained in Editing a Model Publication.
For more information about the database tables used when publishing, see the Oracle Configurator Implementation Guide.
For additional MLS installation and setup considerations related to the runtime Oracle Configurator, see the Oracle Configurator Installation Guide.