Understanding Alternate Characters

PeopleSoft HCM uses related language table architecture to enable users to use multiple languages to enter data and to switch between a base language table and a related language table to view information in multiple languages. In addition, it uses alternate character system architecture to enable users to use two character sets for one language.

The alternate character system architecture accommodates languages (such as Chinese and Japanese) that require the entry of proper nouns by using two character sets to support phonetic sorting rather than binary sorting on proper nouns. For example, users who enter data in Japanese require functionality that enables them to enter proper nouns (such as names or descriptions) both in Kanji and by using a phonetic character set. To accomplish phonetic sorting in PeopleSoft HCM, configure your system so that the user can enter Japanese proper nouns twice: once in Kanji and once (phonetically) using Katakana, Hiragana, or roman alphabets also known as Romaji.

Important:

(JPN) In choosing which phonetic character set to adopt, it is important for customers to determine a consistent method for entering phonetic character set information. From a technical perspective, the system simply applies a binary sort method to phonetic characters. Thus, different characters with the same pronunciation aren't sorted together by their pronunciation in PeopleSoft HCM. For example, a Hiragana Ma character is sorted before a Hiragana Mi character and after a Hiragana Ho character. If a Katakana Ma character is included in the sort, it is sorted after a Katakana Mi character and appears only after all the Hiragana characters are sorted.

(CHN) As Chinese government adopts an official method of romanizing Chinese characters, also known as Hanyu Pinyin, it is strongly advised to use Alphanumeric (roman alphabets) as the alternate character set.

See PeopleTools: Global Technology.