Label system-translation of text and multi-language support at runtime and design

• US 20050071324A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hansen, Jakob Steen, Bitsch, Rene
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A method stores and uses labels in a business solution software program having multiple languages. Instead of having a single resource file for each language, the information related to the labels is stored in a database. Each label is assigned its own unique identifier in a label ID structure, that also contains information related to how the label is used in the system. The text for the label is stored in a separate label text structure. The label text structure contains the text of the label in all of the available languages. When a new label is written the developer can search the current labels to find a label that matches the intended use. If a match is found for the desired text the label is duplicated to the new label. If no match is found a new label must be generated.

Claims

1. A method of creating a new label in a business integration system comprising the steps of:

receiving data at an interface indicative of how the new label is used;

searching a label database for text matching a desired text; and

returning to the user a list of matches found in the label database.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

selecting one of the matches as text for the new label.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the desired text for the label includes receiving at least a portion of the desired text.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

creating a new object in the label database for the new label.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein creating a new object further including the steps of:

assigning a GUID for the new label; and

creating a record in a label text database for text associated with the new label.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving data into an interface further including the steps of:

receiving a category code for the new label; and

receiving a description for the new label.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein receiving a description includes receiving a namespace and a description.

8. The method of claim 6 further including the steps of:

receiving an indication of an original language in which the new label is written.

9. The method of claim 4 further including the steps of:

storing the new label in the label database.

10. The method of claim 9 further including the steps of:

storing versions of the text for the label in a record in a label text database.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein searching the label database for text matching the desired text further including the steps of:

selecting records in the label database having at least a portion of the desired text;

identifying in the selected records an indication of how the selected record is used;

comparing the indicated use of the selected records with the indicated use of the new label; and

ordering the selected records based on a match with the desired text and indicated use of the new label.

12. The method of claim 11 further including the steps of:

displaying the list of matches on the user interface.

13. The method of claim 12 further including the steps of:

ordering the list of matches where the matches having a closest match to the desired text are displayed first.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein selecting one of the matches further including the steps of:

receiving an indication that one record in the list of matches is a desired entry; and

selecting that entry as the new label text.

15. The method of claim 11 further including the steps of:

comparing the category of the selected label against the category of the label.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein if the category of the selected label is not the same as the category of the new label then further including the steps of:

duplicating the selected label to the new label in the label database.

17. The method of claim 16 further including the steps of:

duplicating any translations in a label text database to the record in the label text database for the new label.

18. The method of claim 16 further including the steps of:

creating an entry in the new label indicating an ID of the selected label.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein if the category of the selected label is the same as the category of the new label then further including the steps of:

using the selected label for the new label.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein if none of the selected records includes the desired text further including the steps of:

entering the desired text into the new label;

determining the category and description for the new label based off of a current control for the system;

generating new translations for the text of the label; and

receiving the new translations into the record for the label in the label text database.

21. A data structure representing a label comprising:

a label identification (ID); and

a label text including text in a plurality of languages.

22. The data structure of claim 21 wherein the label ID comprises:

a unique ID;

a namespace; and

a category.

23. The data structure of claim 22 wherein the label ID further comprises:

a description field indicating how the label is used.

24. The data structure of claim 23 wherein the label ID further comprises an indication that the label is a duplicate of another label stored in a duplicated from field.

25. The data structure of claim 24 wherein the duplicated from field includes the unique ID for the label that the current label was duplicated from.

26. The data structure of claim 22 wherein the category further comprises:

a node type;

an object type; and

a property name.

27. The data structure of claim 22 wherein the unique ID is a GUID.

28. The data structure of claim 22 wherein the label ID includes a field indicating that the label is a master label.

29. The data structure of claim 21 wherein the label text comprises:

a textual phrase entry in an original language; and

a translation of the textual phrase into at least one of the plurality of languages.

30. The data structure of claim 29 wherein the label text further comprises:

an edited date field for each entry in the label text indicating at least the date that entry was created.

31. The data structure of claim 30 wherein the label text further comprises:

a field holding a unique ID for each entry in the label text;

a field holding an ID of a label in the label ID table that is for the master label; and

a history field indicating information related to a history of the label text.

32. The data structure of claim 21 wherein the label ID and the label text are a single metadata table.

33. The data structure of claim 21 further comprising:

a master indication, indicating that a label has a master label; and

a language indication indicating a selected language that the label was created in.

34. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the steps of:

creating a new object in the label database for the new label;

receiving data into an interface an indication how the new label is used;

searching a label database for text matching the desired text; and

returning to the user a list of matches found in the label database.

selecting one of the matches as a text of the new label.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34 further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

assigning a GUID for the new label;

creating a record in a label text database for the new label;

receiving a category code for the new label;

receiving a description for the new label;

receiving an indication of an original language in which the new label is written; and

storing versions of the text for the new label in a record in a label text database.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35 further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

opening a label dialog interface prior to receiving data into the interface; and

receiving the data in the label dialog interface.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein searching the label database for text matching the desired text further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

selecting records in the label database having at least a portion of the desired text;

identifying in the selected records an indication of how the selected record is used;

comparing the indicated use of the selected records with the indicated use of the new label;

ordering the selected records based on a match with the desired text and indicated use of the new label;

displaying the list of matches on the user interface;

displaying information for each identified entry contained in the label database;

receiving an indication that one record in the list of matches is a desired entry;

selecting that entry as the new label; and

comparing the category of the selected label against the category of the new label.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 50 wherein if the category of the selected label is not the same as the category of the new label then further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

duplicating the selected label to the new label in the label database; and

creating an entry in the new label indicating the ID of the selected label.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38 further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

duplicating any translations in the label text database to the record in the label text database for the new label.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 39 wherein if the none of the selected records includes the desired text then further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

receiving an entire portion of the desired text into the new label; and

assigning a category and a namespace control based upon a current category and namespace control.