Auto-selection of language

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pelikano
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Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2011 2:14 pm

Auto-selection of language

Post by pelikano »

Hello;

I have just started playing around with moving help projects into Lingo, exporting them, and linking back to the English help (our main help). The little Globe button appears, and sure enough, my mock translated help appears in the menu of languages. Very nice.

Now, my employer is thinking of soon adding four translated versions to the English help, but would like the translated help to appear automatically. For example, if I am a German user and I open the help, I would get the German version, without having to select from the menu of languages.

I don't see anything in the Madcap Flare/Lingo documentation for implementing this behavior.

Is it even possible?

If not, has anyone done something like this with some kind of workaround or scripting?

Should mention that our help runs on a web server.

Thanks
P
Uwe Schwenk
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Re: Auto-selection of language

Post by Uwe Schwenk »

Pelikano,

the reason it is not documented in Flare/Lingo conists in the fact that this is not a Flare issue but rather a Windows one. Let me explain:

When you have multiple language helps available the help will be loaded according to the language you have defined in the regional settings in your computer.

When you change the regional settings it will load the relevant language if this is present:

Example:

My online policy I wrote is available in English and in German. I have the default starting page linked in my browser. Since I am using the regional settings for German it will load the German by default: L10N_Policy_Master\de-de\Content\_HPc_HomePage.htm.

When I change to English it will load the English: L10N_Policy_Master\en-us\Content\_HPc_HomePage.htm.

Change your regional settings and try it out.

HTH
Uwe Schwenk
L10N Coordinator
pelikano
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Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2011 2:14 pm

Re: Auto-selection of language

Post by pelikano »

Uwe, thanks for replying to my post.

I did try this, changing settings for region in Windows 7, and for language in IE. It does not give the result you describe. Perhaps because of the software versions?

Or is it because my help is using TopNav?

I read something last week in the Madcap help that said WebHelp follows the behavior you describe, but not HTML5 help and TopNav. If this is the reason, we must wait. Flare 13?
Uwe Schwenk
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Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2016 12:30 pm

Re: Auto-selection of language

Post by Uwe Schwenk »

Go through this in Detail: I have a TopNav project and it works fine following the instructions.

http://help.madcapsoftware.com/flare12/ ... m#Multilin
Uwe Schwenk
L10N Coordinator
pelikano
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Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2011 2:14 pm

Re: Auto-selection of language

Post by pelikano »

Uwe, I have read through this. And reading through it again, all I see are statements referring to enabling the ChooseLanguage button for HTML5 targets, so that "users can select the language of their choice." Nothing about automatic selection, such as you have mentioned and I want to implement. Multiple references to users selecting the language.

I have managed to get the behavior Madcap describes. It does work exactly as they state. But that is all.

A compromise/workaround I came up with was to add a "Language" menu to the main menu of my TopNav home page. This would alert users that there is a choice of language. Selecting the menu opens a list of languages, just as with the ChooseLanguage button. Selecting a language switches from ..\en\home.html to, for example, ..\de-de\home.html.

It sounds as if you have found a way to have the browser, under the appropriate regional setting, make this switch automatically. But I don't see this described in the MadCap help.
Uwe Schwenk
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Posts: 58
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2016 12:30 pm

Re: Auto-selection of language

Post by Uwe Schwenk »

Pelikano,

the only other thing I came up with is that you might not have the language support installed. If you have just English installed on your PC this might be an issue. I am using Windows 7 Enterprise and I have language packs for a number of languages installed. I would suggest that you contact IT as they might be able to help you ouzt there.



Other than that I have no other idea.


Regards,
Uwe Schwenk
L10N Coordinator
pelikano
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Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2011 2:14 pm

Re: Auto-selection of language

Post by pelikano »

Uwe, I think you are on to something.

In my Region and Language dialog, Keyboards and Languages tab, there is no Display language section. The MS help states that this means no LIP has been installed.

I am off to see IT.

Many thanks!
pelikano
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Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2011 2:14 pm

Re: Auto-selection of language

Post by pelikano »

It works.

Pointed a browser running on a Windows 10 system with the German lang. pack installed at my test site and sure enough, my TopNav help loaded the German version straight off.

Thank you so much Uwe!
Uwe Schwenk
Propeller Head
Posts: 58
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2016 12:30 pm

Re: Auto-selection of language

Post by Uwe Schwenk »

You are welcome. Glad it worked out.
Uwe Schwenk
L10N Coordinator
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