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

• US 7,440,888 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Yen-Fu, Hamilton, Rick A. II, Seaman, James W., Dunsmoir, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth; David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sked; Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US10/933,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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, said method being performed by execution of software in a data processing system, said method comprising:

generating a multi-language property file by processing each individual property file of a plurality of individual property files, wherein each individual property file comprises a file name comprising a label appended to a class and further comprises file content comprising a key value and a translated text pertaining to the label, wherein the key value is a member of the class, wherein said processing each individual property file comprises generating a translation and recording the generated translation in the multi-language property file, wherein the generated translation comprises the translated text and a key comprising the label appended to the key value, wherein the label is null, consists of a language identifier, or consists of the language identifier and a locale identifier, and wherein the translated text of each said translation is formatted in a character set that is displayable in a natural font of a language represented by the translated text;

ascertaining, from an operating system of the data processing system, a language identifier and a locale identifier, wherein execution of a language independent application is configured to be performed in a locale identified by the ascertained locale identifier and to display text in accordance with a first key value and in a language identified by the ascertained language identifier;

executing the application in the locale identified by the ascertained locale identifier;

during said executing the application, selecting from the multi-language property file a translation whose label comprises a key value that matches the first key value and whose label further comprises the ascertained language identifier and the ascertained locale identifier of the executing application or whose label comprises the ascertained language identifier but not the ascertained locale identifier of the executing application or whose label is null;

during said executing the application, displaying the translated text of the selected translation in the language identified by the ascertained language identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the label of the selected translation comprises the ascertained language identifier and the ascertained locale identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the class pertaining to the selected translation is buttons, wherein the key value is select and pertains to a select button that is a member of the class of buttons, wherein the language identified by the ascertained language identifier is English, and wherein the locale identified by the ascertained locale identifier is the United States.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method determines that no translation in the multi-language property file includes a label that comprises the ascertained language identifier and the ascertained locale identifier, and wherein the label of the selected translation comprises the ascertained language identifier but not the ascertained locale identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the class pertaining to the selected translation is buttons, wherein the key value is select and pertains to a select button that is a member of the class of buttons, wherein the language identified by the ascertained language identifier is English, and wherein the locale identified by the ascertained locale identifier is Sweden.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method determines that no translation in the multi-language property file includes a label that comprises the ascertained language identifier or the ascertained locale, and wherein the label of the selected translation is null.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the class pertaining to the selected translation is buttons, wherein the key value is select and pertains to a select button that is a member of the class of buttons, wherein the language identified by the ascertained language identifier is Hebrew, and wherein the locale identified by the ascertained locale identifier is the Israel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said recording comprises recording the generated translation in the multi-language property file as a UTF-8 bytestream, and wherein the method further comprises converting the translated text of the selected translation from the UTF-8 bytestream to an ISO 8859-1 encoded string for use during said executing the application.

9. A method of providing national language support for an application, said method being performed by execution of software in a data processing system, said method comprising:

generating a multi-language property file by processing each individual property file of a plurality of individual property files, wherein each individual property file comprises a file name and further comprises file content comprising a key value and a translated text, wherein the key value is a member of a class, wherein said processing each individual property file comprises generating a translation and recording the generated translation in the multi-language property file, wherein the generated translation comprises the translated text and a key comprising a keyword appended to the key value, and wherein the translated text of each said translation is formatted in a character set that is displayable in a natural font of a language represented by the translated text;

ascertaining, from an operating system of the data processing system, a locale identifier and a list of characters of a language associated with a locale identified by the ascertained locale identifier, wherein execution of a language independent application is configured to be performed in the locale and to display text in accordance with a first key value and in the language associated with the locale;

executing the application in the locale;

during said executing the application, selecting from the multi-language property file a translation whose label comprises a key value that matches the first key value and subsequently determining in response to the keyword in the selected translation that the characters in the translated text in the selected translation are within the ascertained list of characters of the language associated with the locale;

during said executing the application, displaying the translated text of the selected translation in the language associated with the locale.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said recording comprises recording the generated translation in the multi-language property file as a UTF-8 bytestream, and wherein the method further comprises converting the translated text of the selected translation from the UTF-8 bytestream to an ISO 8859-1 encoded string for use during said executing the application.