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    Create Multilingual QuickSet Names

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    • Article Type: General
    • Product: MetaLib
    • Product Version: 4

    Description:
    How to create multilingual QuickSet names on the fly without creating a QuickSet for each language.

    Resolution:
    From the EL Commons: http://www.exlibrisgroup.org/display/MetaLib/How+to+create+multilingual+QuickSet+names+on+the+fly+without+creating+a+QuickSet+for+each+language

    The official way to have QuickSet names in multiple languages is to create separate Quicksets for each language, using the default user for that language. For instance if you have two languages, English and Dutch, there will be two default users (such as, ABC-ENG and ABC-NED). However, this would require managing multiple Quicksets with the same contents

    There is a workaround, making use of the translation table mechanism used for static strings in the user interface. This mechanism replaces strings in the HTML pages that are between two forward and two backward slashes. The display term is taken from the "www_const.<lng>" table for the current language. In this example, we would have a www_const.eng table with English display strings and a www_const.ned table with Dutch display strings.

    The structure of these tables is:
    • www_const.eng: QuickSearch -- QuickSearch
    • www_const.ned: QuickSearch -- Snel Zoeken
    If, in one of the HTML files, the term //QuickSearch\\ is encountered, then in the English setting the term "QuickSearch" is presented, and in the Dutch setting the term "Snel Zoeken".

    For on the fly translating of QuickSet names and descriptions, we can use this mechanism too.
    In "My Space" - "My Databases" in the "Create New Set" pop up window you can enter name and description surrounded by "//" and "\\". MetaLib then retrieves the display terms from the "www_const.<lng>" table for the current language.

    Be sure to add the slashes for both Name and Description EVERY time you change the Name and/or Description in the "Update Set" pop up window! The replacement mechanism also replaces the terms in this module, so the DISPLAY terms from the table are shown in the input fields, not the actual //term\\ that is stored!

    Be careful not to exceed the maximum number of characters, including "//" and "\\" for the description, because MetaLib cuts off the displayed text if it is too long. An advantage of this however, is that descriptions retrieved from the table are NOT cut off!

    Example:
    • QuickSet name and description:
    //Journal Collections\\
    //Journal Collections desc\\

    • www_const.eng:
    Journal Collections - Journal Collections
    Journal Collections desc - Selected e-Journal collections of the University of Amsterdam

    • www_const.ned:
    Journal Collections - Tijdschriftencollecties
    Journal Collections desc - Geselecteerde e-Tijdschriftencollecties van de Universiteit van Amsterdam

    This also works for resource (database) Display Names edited in the Management interface!

    • Article last edited: 10/8/2013