Localization support method for software applications with backend database

• US 6,687,736 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2000
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Elliott
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B
• Application Number:
  US09/666,028
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/2, 704/3, 704/4, 704/7, 704/8, 704/9, 709/200, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

A server application program is disclosed that runs on a server and provides a client with multilingual support, but does not have a multilingual database on the server and does not need to access a remote multilingual database as the application program is running. The server application program, having at least one module written in an interpreted language, interacts with locally available language module files. These files contain extracts from multilingual databases, but are formatted to be read as variables containing text strings by the interpreter used in conjunction with the sever application module written in an interpreted language. This allows extremely fast and dynamic access to a set of multilingual text strings, providing multilingual support of an application on a server with significantly greater speed and versatility than previous designs.

Claims

1. A multilingual server system comprising:

at least one server;

a multilingual system disposed within said at least one server further having at least one module written in an interpreted language and at least one language module file containing at least one text string formatted as a variable compatible with said interpreted language;

a first network connection in operable communication with said multilingual system and a first network; and

,

where said multilingual system is configured to allow operable communication with at least one client, and where said multilingual system is configured to allow operable communication with a multilingual database using said first network connection through said first network, and where said multilingual system is configured to allow operable use of said at least one language module file.

2. The multilingual server system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second network connection in operable communication with said multilingual server system and a second network; and

,

where said multilingual system is configured to allow operable communication with at least one client using said second network connection through said second network.

3. The multilingual server system of claim 2, where said first network connection and said second network connection are the same network connection.

4. The multilingual server system of claim 2, where said first network and said second network are the same network.

5. The multilingual server system of claim 1 where said first network comprises a WAN, LAN, private LAN, virtual LAN, open LAN, or internet, and said second network comprises a WAN, LAN, private LAN, virtual LAN, open LAN, or internet.

6. In a server application program having at least one module written in an interpreted language and at least one language module file formatted compatibly with the interpreted language, and at least one network connection in operative communication with the server application program and configured to allow operable connection to at least one network, and where the server application program is configured to respond to a client, and where the server application program is configured to interact with a multilingual database through the at least one network connection using the at least one network, a method for supplying multilingual support to the client comprising:

(a) accepting a request from said client;

(b) making a language choice based on a language choice indicator if a language choice indicator is included in said request;

(c) making a language choice based on information available to said server application program if said request includes no language choice indicator;

(d) coupling said language module file associated with said language choice and said server application program including making the contents of said language module file available as local variables to said at least one interpreted language module; and

,

(e) using said local variables to provide a response to said request.

7. The multilingual support method of claim 6 wherein said making a language choice based on information available to said server application program further comprises:

(a) creating a history of language choices by correlating at least one request with at least one language choice and further correlating said at least one request with a session indicator;

(b) using said history of language choices to make a language choice if said request contains no indication of a language choice and said request has a correlation with a session indicator in said history of language choices; and

,

(c) making a language choice if said request contains no indication of a language choice and said request has no correlation with a session number in said history of language choices.

8. The multilingual support method of claim 7 wherein said making a language choice based on information available to said server application program further comprises creating a history of language choices where said correlation of at least on request with at least one language choice comprises correlating a language choice with a language choice indicator contained within said request.

9. The multilingual support method of claim 6 having additional methodology comprising:

(a) detecting if a language module file associated with said language choice is local to said server application program;

(b) issuing a request for a language module file associated with said language choice from said multilingual database if there is no local language file associated with said language choice;

(c) receiving a language module file associated with said language choice from said multilingual database if a request for said language file were made; and

,

(d) operatively coupling said server application program and said language module file such that contents of said language module file is made available as local variables to said at least one interpreted language module.

10. In a server having at least one module written in an interpreted language and at least one language module file formatted compatibly with the interpreted language, and at least one network connection in operative communication with the server application program and configured to allow operable connection to at least one network, and where the server application program is configured to respond to a client, and where the server application program is configured to interact with a multilingual database through the at least one network connection using the at least one network, a multilingual support system comprising:

means for receiving a request from said client;

means for making a language choice based on content of said request from said client;

means for coupling said language module file associated with said language choice and said server application program including making the contents of said language module file available as local variables to said at least one interpreted language module; and

,

means for using said local variables to provide a response to said request.

11. The multilingual support system of claim 10 further comprising:

means for creating a history of language choices using correlations between at least one request, at least one language choice, and at least one session indicator; and

,

means for using said history of language choices to make a language choice for any client request.

12. The multilingual support system of claim 11 wherein said means for making a language choice based on information available to said server application program further comprises creating a history of language choices where said correlation of at least one request with at least one language choice comprises correlating a language choice with a language choice indicator contained within said request.

13. The multilingual support system of claim 10 further comprising:

means for detecting if a language module file associated with said language choice is local to said server application program;

means for generating and sending a request for a language module file associated with said language choice to said multilingual database;

means for receiving a language module file associated with said language choice from said multilingual database; and

,

means for operatively coupling said server application program and said language module file where contents of said language module file are formatted to be used as at least one variable to said at least one interpreted language module.

14. The multilingual support system of claim 10 wherein said first network connection and said second network connections are the same network connection.

15. The multilingual support system of claim 10 wherein said first network and said second network are the same network.

16. The multilingual support system of claim 10 wherein said first network comprises a WAN, LAN, private LAN, virtual LAN, open LAN, or internet, and said second network comprises a WAN, LAN, private LAN, virtual LAN, open LAN, or internet.

17. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine having at least one module written in an interpreted language and at least one language module file formatted compatibly with the interpreted language, and at least one network connection in operative communication with the server application program and configured to allow operable connection to at least one network, and where the server application program is configured to respond to a client, and where the server application program is configured to interact with a multilingual database through the at least one network connection using the at least one network, to perform a method for supplying multilingual support to the client comprising:

(a) accepting a request from said client;

(b) making a language choice based on a language choice indicator if a language choice indicator is included in said request;

(c) making a language choice based on information available to said server application program if said request includes no language choice indicator;

(d) coupling said language module file associated with said language choice and said server application program including making the contents of said language module file available as local variables to said at least one interpreted language module; and

,

(e) using said local variables to provide a response to said request.

18. The program storage device providing multilingual support to a client of claim 17, said method further comprising:

(a) creating a history of language choices by correlating at least one request with at least one language choice and further correlating said at least one request with a session indicator;

(b) using said history of language choices to make a language choice if said request contains no indication of a language choice and said request has a correlation with a session indicator in said history of language choices; and

,

(c) making a language choice if said request contains no indication of a language choice and said request has no correlation with a session number in said history of language choices.

19. The program storage device providing multilingual support to a client of claim 18 wherein said making a language choice based on information available to said server application program further comprises creating a history of language choices where said correlation of at least on request with at least one language choice comprises correlating a language choice with a language choice indicator contained within said request.

20. The program storage device providing multilingual support to a client of claim 17, said method further comprising:

(a) detecting if a language module file associated with said language choice is local to said server application program;

(b) issuing a request for a language module file associated with said language choice from said multilingual database if there is no local language file associated with said language choice;

(c) receiving a language module file associated with said language choice from said multilingual database if a request for said language file were made; and

,

(d) operatively coupling said server application program and said language module file such that contents of said language module file is made available as local variables to said at least one interpreted language module.

21. The program storage device providing multilingual support to a client of claim 17 wherein said first network connection and said second network connections are the same network connection.

22. The program storage device providing multilingual support to a client of claim 17 wherein said first network and said second network are the same network.

23. The program storage device providing multilingual support to a client of claim 17 wherein said first network comprises a WAN, LAN, private LAN, virtual LAN, open LAN, or internet, and said second network comprises a WAN, LAN, private LAN, virtual LAN, open LAN, or internet.