Language
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Language Menu |
Language for Descriptions |
Creating a Second Language |
Language Menu
This menu lists the Languages that have been set up in the system. It is available from several windows within Dimensions.
From the Users - Options window, it will assign the selected language to be used automatically by the selected User throughout the system whenever they log in.
From the About Dimensions - User Information window, the Language selected will be used for this session only.
When printing Reports, this menu is available to enable you to select the language to be used for the Report Title and Headings. By default reports will be printed in the language that you are currently using.
Documents such as Invoices are normally printed in the language assigned to the Customer or Supplier to which the document will be sent. This is set using the Language Menu found on the Info window opened from the Customer or Supplier Record. In addition, any Stock Descriptions that have been set up for those languages will be used, so that the complete Document will be in the Customer or Supplier’s Language.
Language for Descriptions
In addition to the language variations that can be applied to all the system prompts, field names etc., there is a feature that enables you to define language variations for the Description fields in:
Nominal Account records
Stock records
Price records
You can only create a language variation for those languages that have been defined using the Language/Description function within the Info menu.
For example, to create a language variation, for a Stock record, on the record window:
Click on Description.
This will only be active if more than one language has been set up.
If active, a drop down list of the languages will be displayed.
Select the one for which you wish to enter a variation, and then enter the variation in the Description field.
All the Language variations that have been entered will be held, and can be viewed by using this menu. Any language that has not had an entry will be blank.
This variation for the Description will be selected as appropriate when Sales or Purchase Orders are printed, to match the country of the Customer or Supplier. If there is no variation for that language, the default (non language specific) will be used.
Note:These variations are independent of the Language being used by this User.
On other reports involving Stock and Price items the Descriptions will be printed in the language currently being used by the User.
When Nominal reports are printed, then the Accounts Names will be in the Language currently being used by the User, unless the user selects an alternative language when setting up the printing of a report.
Creating a Second Language
Languages are set up and maintained using the Language Options sub-menu, accessed from the Info menu.
Create
To create a second Language table, select Main Entry.
This will build a list of all the Language Labels for the system in the default language of English.
Every text field within the system has a language label and these are grouped into tables according to whether they relate to reports, menus or record windows.
Click on the Table Name pull down menu, scroll to the bottom of the list and select All Language Labels. This builds a list of all the language labels in the system.
To create a second language, click on Insert. In the Code field that appears type a name for the new language and then click OK.
You have now created a duplicate set of all the language labels.
Go to About Accounts, click on the Language menu and select the language from the pull down menu. This will now set Dimensions to display all text fields within the accounts in the new language, which at present will be the same as the default English.
Edit
The new Language table can be edited from the Main Entry window.
Make sure the new language is selected, click on the Table Name pull down menu and select All Language Labels for the new language.
Click Edit, highlight the labels you wish to change, make changes then click on OK to save.
You may find it easier to edit the labels on a window by window basis. This can be done when a window is open by selecting Load Current Window. The Language Entry window will open with a list of all the language labels for the current window loaded
For example, open a Customer Record then select Load Current Window to pull up a list of all the language labels which appear on the Customer record. These may be edited as described above.
You can also make use of the Export facility to export the language labels to a file, edit them in the file then import the changes.
From Main Entry, make sure the new language is selected, click on the Table Name pull down menu and select All Language Labels for the new language.
Click on Export, enter a filename and click OK. This creates an export file of all the language labels.
Launch Microsoft Excel. Use Open to locate and open your Export file. You may have to select All Files (*.*) from the Files of type pull down menu. The export file is tab delimited.
Column A contains the language field name, Column B is the maximum number of characters available for the language label and Column C is the language label itself. You may edit each of the language labels individually. Save your changes and close Excel.
In Dimensions, from the Main Entry, click Import and locate the Export file you have just edited. Click Open to import the revised labels and then OK to save the updated Language table.