Method, system and computer program product for dynamic language switching via messaging

• US 6,469,713 B2
• Filed: 12/15/1998
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Will, Scott A., Kumhyr, David Bruce, Hetherington, David James
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thomas T.
• Application Number:
  US09/211,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 704/8, 345/333, 345/329, 345/335, 345/762, 345/765, 345/733, 345/740, 345/744, 709/203, 707/10
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

Language, locale, and display change system messages are defined which contain language or locale codes for changing a display language in a user interface. An operating system language or locale property may be altered, or merely the language and/or locale property of a user interface for a specific application or dialog. When received, all subscribers registered as listeners for such language, locale, and display change system messages are notified. The system message may originate from a control dialog or from another application, and may be passed from one application to another or to dialogs associated with the receiving application. User interface dialogs or applications notified of the system message may reload the contents of displays, updating the user interface display to contain the contents of menu labels, help text, or dialog messages in the new human language or display text formatted in accordance with the new cultural convention. The system message thus permits a run-time change of the display language employed for a user interface. This in turn enables remote support by users employing different languages, setting user interface display languages based on user preference, and temporary transactional language switching.

Claims

1. A method of altering a display at a remotely located subscriber system, comprising:

receiving a language, locale, or display change system message from a host system containing a code including a human language code, a locale code, or both at a subscriber system coupled to said host system and registered for language, locale, or display change system messages of the received system message;

comparing the code within the system message to a current code defining a human language or a locale property within an operating system, application or dialog within said registered subscriber system;

responsive to determining that the code within the system message differs from the current code for an operating system, application or dialog within said registered subscriber system, dynamically altering a user interface display human language within said registered subscriber system, if necessary, to conform to a display property matching the language property or the locale property defined by the human language code within the system message without changing an operating system language property; and

changing a user interface display locale property within said registered subscriber system to match the received locale property code without changing an operating system locale property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a language, locale, or display change system message from a host system containing a code including a language code, a locale code, or both further comprises:

receiving a language change system message containing a human language code.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the language change system message, changing an operating system human language within said registered subscriber system to match the received human language code.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a language, locale, or display change system message from a host system containing a code including a human language code, a locale code, or both further comprises:

receiving a locale change system message containing a locale code.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the locale change system message, changing an operating system locale property to match the received locale code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a language, locale, or display change system message from a host system containing a code including a human language code, a locale code, or both further comprises:

receiving a display change system message containing a human language code and a locale code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dynamically altering a user interface within said registered subscriber system, if necessary, to conform to a display property matching the human language or the locale property defined by the code within the system message further comprises:

switching a user interface human language for text strings displayed within the user interface to a different human language specified by the received code within the system message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dynamically altering a user interface within said registered subscriber system, if necessary, to conform to a display property matching the human language or the locale property defined by the code within the system message further comprises:

switching a user interface format for character strings displayed within the user interface to a different cultural format specified by the received code within the system message.

9. A computer program product within a computer usable medium for altering a display at a remotely located subscriber system, comprising:

instructions for receiving a language, locale, or display change system message from a host system containing a code including a human language code, a locale code or both;

instructions for notifying a subscriber system registered for language, locale, or display change system messages of the received system message;

instructions for comparing the code within the system message to a current code defining a human language or a locale property within an operating system, application or dialog within said registered subscriber system;

instructions, responsive to determining that the code within the system message differs from the current code for an operating system, application or dialog, for dynamically altering a user interface display human language within said registered subscriber system, if necessary, to conform to a display property matching the language property or the locale property defined by the human language code within the system message, without changing an operating system language property; and

changing a user interface display locale property to match the received locale property code without changing an operating system locale property.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions for receiving a language, locale, or display change system message from a host system containing a code including a language code, a locate code, or both further comprises:

instructions for receiving a language change system message containing a human language code.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

instructions, responsive to receiving the language change system message from a host system, for changing an operating system human language within said registered subscriber system to match the received human language code.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions for receiving a language, locale, or display change system message containing a code including a human language code, a locale code, or both further comprise:

instructions for receiving a locale change system message containing a locale code.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

instructions, responsive to receiving the locale change system message from a host system, for changing an operating system locale property to match the received locale code.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions for receiving a language, locale, or display change system message from a host system containing a code including a human language code, a locale code, or both further comprise:

instructions for receiving a display change system message containing a human language code and a locale code.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions for dynamically altering a user interface, if necessary, to conform to a display property matching the human language or the locale property defined by the code within the system message further comprise:

instructions for switching a user interface human language for text strings displayed within the user interface to a different human language specified by the received code within the system message from a host system.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions for dynamically altering a user interface, if necessary, to conform to a display property matching the human language or the locale property defined by the code within the system message further comprise:

instructions for switching a user interface format for character strings displayed within the user interface to a different cultural format specified by the received code within the system message.