Customize Application Labels
Internationalization
Application labels, such as menu bars and messages, can be customized to display in any Windows supported language. A Java Resource Bundle is used to customize application labels.
The Java Resource Bundle Text Translation file enables all application text within OpenWells® software to be displayed in other languages. Clients can configure text translations in the resource files which OpenWells software will automatically detect when the Windows Regional Settings locale is changed to a particular language.
Note: Changes made to the Java resource bundles only appear when the regional settings are non-English. Only a qualified support person should make changes to the .JAR file. If changes to the .JAR files are made, please contact Landmark Support so that they can be included in subsequent releases of OpenWells software and EDM™ software.
The OWLanguages.jar file (found in the Landmark EDM installation directory at \Common Files) contains a number of .PROPERTIES files that are detected by OpenWells and the EDM Administration utility when the Window Regional Settings is set to a Language other than English. Each of these .PROPERTIES files must be edited to reflect the appropriate language for all text displayed in the OpenWells application (e.g., messages, menu bar commands and Well Explorer tree data items\nodes).
The following topics are covered on this help page:
Extracting the OWLanguages.jar File
Using Unicode to define Characters in the .PROPERTIES File
Rebuilding the OWLanguages.jar File
Extracting the OWLanguages.jar File
Create a directory on the PC called "owlang" (e.g., C:\owlang)
Using WinZip™ or a similar tool extract the OWLanguages.jar file to C:\owlang.
A number of .PROPERTIES files are extracted to C:\owlang in a specific directory hierarchy.
In the "com" folder, navigate to each of the each of the Res_xx.properties files. Each .PROPERTIES file name must be changed to reflect the correct language support set in the Windows Regional Settings. For example to add French support, the *xx.properties files must be copied to files named *fr.properties (i.e., Res_fr.properties).
For a list of letter codes for each language see the Language Codes topic.
Note: Language letter codes must appear in the file name in lowercase and regional letter codes must appear in the file name in UPPERCASE.
For example, the file name for the French language would be Res_fr.properties and the file name for the French Canadian language would be Res_fr-CA.properties.
The .PROPERTIES example files shipped in the OWLanguages.jar file have been customized in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Russian and are appropriately called Res_es.properties, Res_pt.properties, Res_zh.properties, and Res_ru.properties respectively. To see OpenWells in one of these languages, change the Windows Regional Settings locale to the languages region and re-launch the application.
The .PROPERTIES files must be edited with translations made in the appropriate language.
Each .PROPERTIES file contains a list of text items which require translation. The list of items include 'mnemonic_' items, menu commands, and nodes. The mnemonic items reflect a keyboard shortcut method for the listed item (i.e., mnemonic_File=F denotes the keyboard shortcut 'Alt+F' to bring up the File menu).
Translate the text string appearing to the right of the '=' to reflect the new language that will appear in the application. If a character does not exist on the keyboard Unicode can be use to define the character. See Using Unicode to define Characters in the .PROPERTIES File below.
Spanish Example
To change the Main menu bar commands to Spanish, the following entries in the .PROPERTIES file would be translated as follows:
English Version |
Spanish Version |
File=File |
File=Archivo |
Edit=Edit |
Edit=Editar |
View=View |
View=Ver |
Tools=Tools |
Tools=Herramientas |
Help=Help |
Help=Ayuda |
Using Unicode to define Characters in the .PROPERTIES File
Unicode is used to define characters of alphabets and scripts from around the globe, which are not found on a standard English keyboard. In the following example, the Main Menu bar commands are defined in Chinese characters using Unicode.
English Version |
Chinese Unicode Version |
Chinese Value Displayed by the Application |
File=File |
File=\u6587\u4EF6(F) |
File = |
Edit=Edit |
Edit=\u7F16\u8F91(E) |
Edit = |
View=View |
View=\u89C6\u56FE(V) |
View = |
Tools=Tools |
Tools=\u5DE5\U5177(T) |
Tools = |
Help=Help |
Help=\u5E2E\u52A9(H) |
Help = |
Unicode characters are entered in the .PROPERTIES file using "\uXXXX" sequences. Since the .PROPERTIES text file cannot support Unicode characters, these sequences are codes which represent Unicode characters.
The letter in parenthesis after the sequence are the mnemonic items that reflect a keyboard shortcut (e.g., Edit=\u7F16\u8F91(E) defines the keyboard shortcut as Alt+E).
The following method can be use to determine the Unicode value needed to make translations in the .PROPERTIES file:
Paste or enter the Unicode character in Microsoft Word.
Position the cursor after the character to be defined.
Press Alt+X keyboard shortcut. The character changes to it's Unicode definition.
For example using this method when Alt+X is pressed the character 文 will display the Unicode 6587. The character 件 will display the Unicode 4EF6. These numbers must be entered in the .PROPERTIES file as File=\u6587\u4EF6(F).
An excellent language translation tool can be found at www.world.altavista.com.
Rebuilding the OWLanguages.jar File
Once the appropriate changes have been made and the .PROPERTIES files have been saved, the OWLanguages.jar file must be rebuilt using the specified directory hierarchy in order for the changes to take affect.
To accomplish the rebuilding of the OWLanguages.jar file using WinZip™ :
Launch the WinZip™ application.
Follow the menu path: File > New Archive...
Enter the name OWLanguages.jar in the File name field.
Active the Add Archive check box.
Click OK. The Add dialog box appears.
Navigate to the C:\owlang folder
Activate the Include Subfolders and Save full path info in the Folders area of the dialog.
Click the Add with wildcards button.
Select the Manifest.mf file and follow the menu path: Actions > Delete. The Delete dialog box appears.
Select the Selected Files button and click OK.
Close WinZip™ .
Copy the newly created OWLanguages.jar file to the following location: [EDM installation directory]\Common Files
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