Developing Multilanguage-Enabled Applications

Microsoft Dynamics NAV is enabled for multilanguage development by default. If you make sure that the names of objects are in English and all objects have values in the CaptionML property, your solution can be translated to other languages if you deploy your solution to other markets. Even if you do not have customers outside your own country/region, it is easier for you to upgrade to a new version of Microsoft Dynamics NAV if your code follows the same multilanguage-enabled structure as the standard version of Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

When you compile application objects that include multilanguage captions, Microsoft Dynamics NAV converts each CaptionML value into Unicode based on the specified language. For example, a text constant has the following CaptionML values: DAN=Danish text;ENU=English text. The Danish caption is converted based on code page 865, and the English (United States) caption is converted based on code page 437. If you have text that is not stored as a multilanguage caption, the text will be converted using the code page for the language that is specified for non-Unicode programs in the regional settings on the computer. Similarly, because Microsoft Dynamics NAV assumes that object names are English (United States), if you specify names in other languages, they may not display correctly after you compile the object.

When you are developing in a multilanguage-enabled environment, we recommend that you:

• Set the language in the development environment to English (United States)

• Specify the Name property in English (United States)

• Use text constants in your code instead of using hardcoded text strings

• Verify that everything that is displayed to the user has a Caption property

• Use the DateFormula data type instead of Text or Code for date formulas

Setting the Language to English (United States)

Before you start working in a multilanguage-enabled database, you should set the language to English (United States). In the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Development Environment, on the Tools menu, choose Language, choose English (United States), and then choose OK.

Name Property

In Microsoft Dynamics NAV, the code base is in English (United States). This means that the Name Property of objects must always be in English (United States).

The code base in English (United States) includes the following:

• Object names

• Field names

• Function and variable names

• Comments

• Option strings

• Control names

Text Constants

In a multilanguage application, you must use text constants to define strings that you use in your code. A text constant can have multiple values for different languages.

The most common use of text constants is to define the strings that are used as parameters in the following functions:

• ERROR Function (Dialog)

• MESSAGE Function (Dialog)

• CONFIRM Function (Dialog)

• STRMENU Function (Dialog)

You define text constants in the C/AL Globals or C/AL Locals window. When you enter a string in the ConstValue field, this value is automatically entered as the ConstValueML value for the currently selected language. You can enter a string for other languages by choosing the AssistEdit button in the ConstValue field. This opens the Multilanguage Editor. For more information, see How to: Enter Text in the Multilanguage Editor.

Text constants are automatically assigned unique IDs according to the number ranges listed in Number Ranges for Text Constants. To see the ID for a text constant, open the C/AL Globals or C/AL Locals window where the text constant is defined, and select the text constant. On the View menu, choose Properties.

When you are working in the C/AL Editor, if you place the cursor on a text constant, then the value of the text constant in the current language is shown in the message line in the language that you have selected as the language.

Caption and CaptionML Properties

Everything that is displayed to the user must have a Caption Property. The Name property must always be English (United States), but you use the Caption property to show the name in the language of the development environment. The Caption property copies the value for the language that you have specified for the development environment from the CaptionML Property.

The CaptionML property allows you to add captions in multiple languages. An example is table 37, field 1, which has the following CaptionML values:

ENU=Document Type;``ESM=Tipo documento;FRC=Type de document;ENC=Document Type

These correspond to values for English (United States), Spanish (Mexico), French (Canada), and English (Canada).

If the language in the development environment is English (United States), then the value of the Caption property is Document Type. If the language is Spanish (Mexico), then the value of the Caption field is Tipo documento.

To add captions in different languages, you can either enter values directly in the Value field of the CaptionML property, or you can choose the AssistEdit button to open the Multilanguage Editor. For more information, see How to: Enter Text in the Multilanguage Editor.

Option Buttons

The value in the OptionValue field is always in English because this value is used by the corresponding global variable and code must always be in English (United States). You must make sure that the value for English (United States) in the CaptionML field is the same as in the OptionValue field.

Option Strings

For option strings, such as a control in a request page, the Name property must remain the number of the control, such as Control 9.

Option Variables

For option variables, such as in a source expression for a FORMAT, STRSUBSTNO, ERROR, MESSAGE, or CONFIRM statement, create a text constant that contains the options, and then use a SELECTSTR statement to select an option from the text constant.

For example, you have the following text constants and variables.

OptionVar has an OptionString value of Option1,Option2. In an application that is not multilanguage-enabled, you can have the following code.

NewStr := STRSUBSTNO(Text000, OptionVar);

In a multilanguage-enabled application, the OptionVar values are not translated. Instead of using the Option variable, create the following text constants and variables.

To select an option, you use the SELECTSTR function.

SelStr := SELECTSTR(1,Text001);

When you call the STRSUBSTNO function and use the SelStr variable instead of the OptionVar variable, the result string is in the language of the application.

NewStr := STRSUBSTNO(Text000, SelStr);

Date Formulas

In a multilanguage application, if a table contains a date formula field, then you should verify that the field is of the DateFormula Data Type and not the Text Data Type or Code Data Type. A date formula that is stored as a DateFormula data type is converted to a non-language-dependent format.

Similarly, in a multilanguage application, if you use the CALCDATE Function (Date) and if you use a variable for the DateExpression parameter, then you should verify that the variable is of the DateFormula data type so that it is stored in a non-language-dependent format. If you specify a string for the DateExpression parameter, then you should use angle brackets (< >) around the date formula so that date formula is stored in a non-language dependent format. In this way, the calculation will be the same regardless of which application language the user has selected.

For example, if a user who has the application language set to English (United States) enters a date formula '1W+1D' into a field that is of the DateFormula data type, then to a different user who has the application language set to French (France), that field is displayed as '1S+1J'.

See Also

Tasks

How to: View Names and Captions

Concepts

Multilanguage Development
Multiple Document Languages