Methods, systems and computer program products for national language support using a multi-language property file

• US 20060047499A1
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Yen-Fu, Hamilton, Rick A. II, Seaman, James W., Dunsmoir, John W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,440,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/126 Character encoding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

National language support for an application is provided by recording translations of a text string in corresponding different languages in a single property file so as to allow display of the translations in the property file. One of the translations of the text string recorded in the property file is selected for use by an application based on a locale associated with the execution of the application and the selected one of the translations is used in the execution of the application.

Claims

1. A method of providing national language support for an application, comprising:

recording translations of a text string in corresponding different languages in a single property file so as to allow display of the translations in the property file;

selecting one of the translations of the text string recorded in the property file for use by an application based on a locale associated with the execution of the application; and

using the selected one of the translations in the execution of the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the translations are recorded as UTF-8 bytestreams.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the application is a JAVA program.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising converting the selected one of the translations recorded as a UTF-8 bytestream to an ISO 8859-1 encoded string for use in the execution of the application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising editing the property file with the translations displayed in the native language.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a key value with each translation, wherein the key values reflect a locale associated with the language of the translation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting one of the translations comprises selecting one of the translations having a key value that corresponds to the locale associated with the execution of the application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of the translations comprises:

determining locales associated with translations in different languages based on the characters used in the translation; and

selecting the translation based on the determined locale of the translation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting translations in a plurality of property files into a single multi-language property file to provide the property file.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the translations in the property files are associated with a corresponding key and the file names of the property files include locale information and wherein converting translations comprises:

appending the locale information from the file names onto key values in the corresponding property file to provide updated key values; and

appending the translations and updated key values into the single multi-language property file.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the translations in the property files are associated with a corresponding key and wherein converting translations comprises appending the key and translations in the plurality of property files into the single multi-language property file.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising caching the selected one of the translations in memory for subsequent reuse by the application.

13. A computer program product for providing national language support for an application, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to record translations of a text string in corresponding different languages in a single property file so as to allow display of the translations in the property file;

computer readable program code configured to select one of the translations of the text string recorded in the property file for use by an application based on a locale associated with the execution of the application; and

computer readable program code configured to use the selected one of the translations in the execution of the application.

14. The computer program code of claim 13, wherein the translations are recorded as UTF-8 bytestreams and the application is a JAVA program, the computer program product further comprising computer readable program code configured to convert the selected one of the translations recorded as a UTF-8 bytestream to an ISO 8859-1 encoded string for use in the execution of the application.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer readable program code configured to associate a key value with each translation, wherein the key values reflect a locale associated with the language of the translation and wherein the computer readable program code configured to select one of the translations comprises computer readable program code configured to select one of the translations having a key value that corresponds to the locale associated with the execution of the application.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer readable program code configured to associate a key value with each translation, wherein the key values reflect a locale associated with the language of the translation and wherein the computer readable program code configured to select one of the translations comprises:

computer readable program code configured to determine locales associated with translations in different languages based on the characters used in the translation; and

computer readable program code configured to select the translation based on the determined locale of the translation.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer readable program code configured to convert translations in a plurality of property files into a single multi-language property file to provide the property file.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the translations in the property files are associated with a corresponding key and the file names of the property files include locale information and wherein the computer readable program code configured to convert translations comprises:

computer readable program code configured to append the locale information from the file names onto key values in the corresponding property file to provide updated key values; and

computer readable program code configured to append the translations and updated key values into the single multi-language property file.

19. A system for providing national language support for an application, comprising:

means for recording translations of a text string in corresponding different languages in a single property file so as to allow display of the translations in the property file;

means for selecting one of the translations of the text string recorded in the property file for use by an application based on a locale associated with the execution of the application; and

means for using the selected one of the translations in the execution of the application.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the translations are recorded as UTF-8 bytestreams and the application is a JAVA program, the system further comprising means for converting the selected one of the translations recorded as a UTF-8 bytestream to an ISO 8859-1 encoded string for use in the execution of the application.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for converting translations in a plurality of property files into a single multi-language property file to provide the property file.