Localization

Please read the references given in the reference section below.

Translation Import/Export

Use to quickly edit translations
Found in menu option Translation Import/Export
Don't select table - all translation tables are exported
Export / Import as a ZIP file
Only centrally maintained fields are exported for ad_field
Do synchronize terminology after import, to set the names of centrally maintained fields
java.util.zip.ZipException: error in opening zip file: when used linux ark to compress file, using command line worked fine.

Enabling translations on client documents

Tick Multi Lingual Translations on the Client window (set the language as well.) Run synchronize doc translations, restart app server. Translation tab shows on document window in client.
Add missing translations should also be run (see below)

Adding support for translation to a table

Remember to enable multi lingual translations for your client (see above)
On the table you want to translate tick 'translated' on all columns you want to be translatable (see under 'technical')
start 'Create / Complete Table' with the 'process' button on the toolbar.
tick 'Create a Translation Table' and untick unneeded columns.
open the newly created entry in 'table and column', open a column and run 'synchronize column'.
switch to the 'Table Index' and run 'Index Validate'.
back to the table run 'Create Window, Tab & Field from Table', untick 'new window' and select the window and level.
open the new tab and select the correct parent column.
Login to System and open the Language window, find your language, and click on language maintenance. Select 'Add missing translations'
Remember: new translation records are not added using the translation window, but rather using 'Add missing translations', and also automatically, when a new main record is created.
- Client level translations are added at the same time
run 'Synchronize Terminology'.

How the default country on the location dialog is determined

Lookup the client's language under the client window.
Find the language under System, in the Language window.
Note the ISO Country code
Find the country by ISO Country Code, under System, in Country, Region & City window

Use translations to quickly change labels

Changing field labels on windows, menus, and tabs using the web interface can be time-consuming if you have a large number of changes to make. You can speed this up by exporting the language pack and editing the files manually using a text editor. You will also have a record of the changes that you can back up and re-apply to different instances of iDempiere.

Export the Language Pack

First, export the language pack:

Login as SuperUser with the System role;
Select the Menu option Translation Import/Export;
Export the zip file and save it locally: leave all fields as defaults to export all tables for all clients in the default language;
Browse to where you stored the zipped file and unzip it.

You will see a number of files, each corresponding to a database table. Generally, the ones you want start with AD_ because these correspond to the tables that hold the Application Dictionary:

AD_Element_Trl_en_US.xml: all system level Elements
AD_FieldGroup_Trl_en_US.xml: groups of Fields within a Window
AD_Field_Trl_en_US.xml: Fields used in Tabs
AD_Form_Trl_en_US.xml: Windows that are not automatically generated
AD_Menu_Trl_en_US.xml: Menu entries
AD_Message_Trl_en_US.xml: error Messages and alerts
AD_Process_Para_Trl_en_US.xml: used in Processes
AD_Process_Trl_en_US.xml: Processes that make changes to the system
AD_Reference_Trl_en_US.xml: References
AD_Ref_List_Trl_en_US.xml: list of References
AD_Tab_Trl_en_US.xml: Tabs used in Windows
AD_WF_Node_Trl_en_US.xml: Workflow Nodes
AD_Window_Trl_en_US.xml: Windows used in the application
AD_Workflow_Trl_en_US.xml: all the Workflows in the application

There may be other entries that you want to translate, in which case you should search through the contents of all the files for occurrences of the text.

Hint: you can limit your search to whole words by grepping as follows (where '\b' marks whitespace):

  grep '\btext-of-interest\b' *

Edit the contents

Each entry in the translation tables consists of two parts: the original installed text as an XML attribute, and the translation in the content, for example:

  <row id="287" trl="Y">
     <value column="Name" original="Print Format Detail">Print Format Detail</value>
     <value column="Description" original="Print Format Detail Report">Print Format Detail Report</value>
     <value column="Help" original="Print Format with Item details">Print Format with Item details</value>
  </row>

Be careful not to edit the original content, especially if you use Search-and-Replace.

Load the translation

Once you have made your changes:

Select all the files and zip them up (don't use Linux Ark to do the zip, just use the standard zip utility);
Select the Menu option Translation Import/Export again;
Import the zipped file and wait for it to load;
Reboot the application server to empty the cache and load the new text.

Jasper report translations

Use resource bundles to translate reports.

Refer: http://wiki.idempiere.org/en/Multi-Lingual_Jasper
Subreports need a parameter to be added. Refer: http://wiki.idempiere.org/en/Finding_resources_in_JasperReports
Set resource bundle property of report to same as report name
Set sub report resource bundle to blank
Subreport then uses same bundle as main report
if having problems seeing properties in deployed report, examine /tmp/reportname* (TEMP folder in windows), to see if correct files have been deployed

References