16 Translating Individual Templates

This chapter describes how to create and upload translated template files to provide translations for specific templates.

This chapter includes the following sections:

Overview

This chapter describes how to create and upload translated template files when you want to provide translations only for specific templates.

The following template types can be translated individually:

  • RTF layout files

  • style templates

  • subtemplates

  • BI Publisher layouts (.xpt)

To translate the layouts within the broader scope of the catalog, see Translating Catalog Objects, Data Models, and Templates.

Types of Translations

You can add different types of translations to templates.

There are two options for adding translations for templates:

  • Create a separate RTF template that is translated (a localized template). This option is available for RTF templates only.

  • Generate an XLIFF from the original template. At runtime the original template is applied for the layout and the XLIFF is applied for the translation.

Use the first option if the translated template requires a different layout from the original template

If you require only translation of the text strings of the template layout, then use the XLIFF option.

The diagrams in the following graphic illustrate the translation concepts.

Using the XLIFF Option

The XLIFF option is used to translate files.

The following sections describe using the XLIFF option:

Generating the XLIFF from a Template

These sections describe the two methods for generating an XLIFF for a single template file.

Generating the XLIFF from the Template Builder

Follow these steps to generate the XLIFF from the template builder.

Note:

This procedure assumes that you have installed the BI Publisher Template Builder for Microsoft Word. See Creating RTF Templates Using the Template Builder for Word for information on downloading the add-in for Microsoft Word.

To generate an XLIFF from the Template Builder:
  1. Open the template in Microsoft Word with the Template Builder for Word installed.
  2. On the Template Builder tab, in the Tools group, click Translation, and then click Extract Text.

    BI Publisher extracts the translatable strings from the template and exports them to an XLIFF (.xlf file).

  3. Save the XLIFF to a local directory.

Generating the XLIFF from the Layout Properties Page

You can generate the XLIFF file for report layout templates or for style templates and subtemplates.

To generate the XLIFF file for report layout templates:
  1. Navigate to the report in the catalog and click Edit to open it for editing.

  2. From the thumbnail view of the report layouts, click the Properties link of the layout (RTF or XPT) to open the Layout Properties page.

  3. In the Translations region, click Extract Translation.

    BI Publisher extracts the translatable strings from the template and exports them to an XLIFF (.xlf) file.

  4. Save the XLIFF file to a local directory.

To generate the XLIFF file for style templates and subtemplates:
  1. Navigate to the style template or sub template in the catalog and click Edit to open the Template Manager.
  2. In the Translations region, click Extract Translation.

    BI Publisher extracts the translatable strings from the template and exports them to an XLIFF (.xlf) file.

  3. Save the XLIFF file to a local directory.

Translating the XLIFF

When you have downloaded the XLIFF file, it can be sent to a translation provider, or using a text editor, you can enter the translation for each string.

See Structure of the XLIFF File for instructions on how to edit the XLIFF file.

A "translatable string" is any text in the template that is intended for display in the published report, such as table headers and field labels. Text supplied at runtime from the data is not translatable, nor is any text that you supply in the Microsoft Word form fields.

You can translate the template XLIFF file into as many languages as desired and associate these translations to the original template. See Uploading the Translated XLIFF to BI Publisher.

Note:

Ensure that when you save your translated file, you save it with UTF-8 encoding.

Uploading the Translated XLIFF to BI Publisher

Once a XLIFF file is translated, it needs to be uploaded to BI Publisher.

To upload the translated XLIFF:

  1. Navigate to the report, subtemplate, or style template in the catalog and click Edit to open it for editing.

    For reports only:

    From the thumbnail view of the report layouts, click the Properties link of the layout to open the Template Manager.

  2. In the Translations region, click the Upload toolbar button.
  3. In the Upload Translation File dialog, locate the file in a local directory and select the Locale for this translation.
  4. Click OK to upload the file and view it in the Translations table.

Using the Localized Template Option

If you must design a different layout for the reports that you present for different localizations, then you can create a new RTF file that is designed and translated for the locale and upload this file to the Template Manager.

Note:

The localized template option is not supported for XPT templates.

The following sections describe using the localized template option:

Designing the Localized Template File

Use the same tools that you used to create the base template file, translating the strings and customizing the layout as desired for the locale.

Uploading the Localized Template to BI Publisher

Several types of templates can be uploaded to BI Publisher.

To upload the localized template:

  1. Navigate to the report, subtemplate, or style template in the catalog and click Edit to open it for editing.

    For reports only:

    From the thumbnail view of the report layouts, click the Properties link of the layout to open the Template Manager.

  2. In the Templates region, click the Upload toolbar button.
  3. In the Upload Template File dialog, locate the file in a local directory, select rtf as the Template Type and select the Locale for this template file.
  4. Click OK to upload the file and view it in the Templates table.