Internationalization and CSV Files

Importing and exporting data uses a comma-separated values (CSV) data file or a CSV template file. This section explains how language support (internationalization) affects CSV files that you create, use, import, or export.

Note:

Number formatting is not supported for symbols that use a right-to-left language, such as the official languages of Afghanistan or Hebrew.

Generic CSV Files

Language preferences are read from the Preferences settings on the Region Format page for both CSV data files and CSV template files. The language preference applies to the following items:

• All column headers
• All informational text

If a CSV import fails, the import error file shows system-generated error messages in the preferred language.

If a CSV import fails because of form validation errors, the custom error message appears in the preferred language.

Note:

• If a translation is not available for a custom error message, the source string appears.
• Before you import a CSV file, check the Preferences settings for the allowed format and number formatting.
• When you import or export a CSV file, the date format follows the Date Format setting on the Region Format page in the Preferences window.

Additional Information About Exporting and Importing CSV Files

When users import and export a CSV file with different language settings, such as French and German, the data entered in the exported file must match the language used to create the original template.

Example

A user creates a CSV template in French, and a user in German uses the template. If the German user enters data without changing the column structure and imports the file, the import fails. The system displays an error message in German that identifies the error.