Configuring System Text in RTF Report Templates

In order to enable the translation of a report's field labels and column headings into the language of the user's locale, the RTF report template uses placeholders instead of hard-coding the text. The placeholder is the code to an item of configurable system text.

For example, a table that shows a Site's Certificates, such as:

Type	Certificate No.
EC Licence Number	123456
Organic Certification	987654

May be coded in the RTF template as:

orseReports.type	orseReports.certificateNo
F description	referenceCertNo E

Where orseReports.type is the key to the system text for the Type label, and orseReports.certificateNo is the key for the Certificate No. label.

System Text Translations

When coded accordingly, the report run by an English user would present the table as:

As Sold

Attribute	Red	Amber	Green

And run by a French user would present the table as:

Non préparé

Attribut	Rouge	Ambre	Vert

Duplicated Text

If the RTF template contains multiple occurrences of item of text, such as Product Attributes for As Sold and As Consumed values, each with Red, Amber, and Green column headings, the placeholders must contain unique values, typically by appending an incrementing number, such as:

orseReports.asSold

orseReports.attr	orseReports.red	orseReports.amber	orseReports.green
F description	red	amber	green E

orseReports.asConsumed

orseReports.attr_2	orseReports.red_2	orseReports.amber_2	orseReports.green_2
F description	red	amber	green E

If a placeholder is not unique, when the report is run, the first occurrence of the placeholder will show the appropriate system text, but subsequent occurrences will just show the placeholder name, such as:

As Sold

Attribute	Red	Amber	green

As Consumed

orseReports.attr_2	orseReports.red_2	orseReports.amber_2	orseReports.green_2

Note:

An alternative to using an incrementing numeric suffix as above, is to use a descriptive differentiator to form a unique placeholder, such as orseReports.asSoldRed and orseReports.asConsumedRed.

If the portal operates just a single language and there is no requirement for translations, the fixed text could simply be hard-coded, however the use of placeholders is recommended, as it allows for changes to system text, and the introduction of languages without the need to rebuild report templates.

The system text must be on its own line, and must not include any spaces, tabs, or other characters:

Correct	Incorrect
"orseReports.totalChargedCost"	"orseReports.totalChargedCost "
	"orseReports.totalChargedCost : "
orseReports.totalCost: 999,999.00	orseReports.totalCost: 999,999.00
orseReports.totalChargedCost: 999,999.00 RS	orseReports.totalChargedCost: 999,999.00 RS

If a new item of system text needs to be created to cater for a duplicate reference, the process described in Configuring System Text and XLIFF for Reports is used.