Languages and labels

You can change the default language for the ALM Octane UI. You can also modify entity labels by selecting a pre-defined development methodology, such as Agile or Waterfall, or changing individual entity labels.

Overview

Several languages are available for the ALM Octane interface. Admins can set the default language, and users can choose their own UI language.

You can customize labels for most entities to match your methodology and naming conventions.

Customized entity labels apply throughout the system, including the following areas: forms, dashboard widgets, toolbar buttons that include names of entities, initials on entity icons.

Editions: Label customization is available in ALM Octane Enterprise edition.

Set UI language

Space and site admins can set ALM Octane's default UI language.

Individual users can override the global setting and set their own UI language. Admins can also change the UI language for specific users.

Space/site admins

Set the DEFAULT_LANGUAGE configuration parameter to specify a default language for the system.

The parameter sets:

The UI language for new users.
The language for system-wide operations (such as emails sent from ALM Octane).

For details, see DEFAULT_LANGUAGE.

Individual users

Users can change their own UI language. Admins can also set a user's UI language.

For users to change their own UI language, see User preferences.
For admins to change the UI language for selected users, see Users.

Methods to customize entity labels

You can customize entity labels in the following ways:

Method	Details
By methodology	You can customize labels by choosing a methodology, such as Waterfall, Agile, or Spotify. Switching methodology does the following: Updates the labels for all entities in all languages, including the entity name in the labels of system fields. The entity names in the labels of user-defined fields are not updated. Overrides any manual label customization. See Customize labels.
Manually	You can customize entity labels by manually editing the singular, plural, capitalized, and non-capitalized versions of each label. You edit the labels for each language individually. When customizing entity labels manually, the entity name in field labels (both system and custom fields) is not updated. See Customize labels.
By dynamic labels	You can use dynamic labels to apply custom labels to entities. You can apply a custom label to all items of a specified entity, or to a subgroup of items based on a condition that you define. For details, see Dynamic labels.

Method

Details

By methodology

You can customize labels by choosing a methodology, such as Waterfall, Agile, or Spotify.

Switching methodology does the following:

Updates the labels for all entities in all languages, including the entity name in the labels of system fields. The entity names in the labels of user-defined fields are not updated.
Overrides any manual label customization.

See Customize labels.

Manually

You can customize entity labels by manually editing the singular, plural, capitalized, and non-capitalized versions of each label. You edit the labels for each language individually.

When customizing entity labels manually, the entity name in field labels (both system and custom fields) is not updated.

See Customize labels.

By dynamic labels

You can use dynamic labels to apply custom labels to entities. You can apply a custom label to all items of a specified entity, or to a subgroup of items based on a condition that you define.

For details, see Dynamic labels.

Development methodologies

You can apply a methodology to entity labels. When you apply a methodology, entity and field labels are updated to that methodology's terminology in all the supported languages.

You can choose from the following methodologies: Agile, SAFe, Spotify, Waterfall

Example: The following examples demonstrate equivalent labels between methodologies.

An Agile user story is equivalent to a SAFe story.
A release is a program increment in the SAFE methodology.
A team is equivalent to a Spotify squad.

When applying a methodology:

Any field names that contain the entity are updated.
Any label changes you made manually are overridden.
Any label changes made by previously applying a methodology are overridden.
Fields that are not relevant to a methodology retain their original labels.

Limitations

The follow limitations apply to languages and entity labeling:

The following items are not translated: Demo data, boolean value operators in certain fields, and REST API responses.
You cannot customize the predefined methodology labels. After applying a methodology, you can change individual entity labels. If you reapply a predefined methodology, you need to make the adjustments again.
When applying a methodology, user-defined field labels are not impacted. You can modify custom field labels manually. For details, see Change field display labels.
There is no validation to check that entity label names are unique within the same space.
Entity initials can use only letters from the English alphabet, even if you use a non-English system language.
Methodology is not a property of the space. This means that after each ALM Octane upgrade, if your applied methodology is different from DEFAULT, you should re-apply the methodology to update labels added by the upgrade. In addition, re-apply modifications to field labels that you have modified manually.

Customize labels

Apply a methodology to change all system labels across all languages, or modify individual labels.

To customize labels:

In the Spaces area, select the shared space, identified by the icon.
Click the Entity Labels tab.
Do one of the following:
1. Select a development methodology. Click Apply Methodology and select one of the development methodologies. The changes will apply to all relevant labels in all languages and override any manual label modifications.
2. Update labels manually. Modify individual labels for any entity. If necessary, make the same updates to all UI languages.