Multilingual user interface

This topic introduces the multilingual user interface, or MLU.

In this topic:

What is multilingual user interface

The multilingual user interface, or MLU, provides support for multiple languages on a single instance of PPM. With the MLU, centralized management can roll out and maintain standardized processes and templates for use by resources across many different regions around the globe.

And to support effective portfolio planning, central business planners can cut across language barriers and make sense of information rolled up from activities taking place in different regions. You can set up and maintain the translations of your own enterprise configurations, in addition enabling your employees to interact with PPM in their own languages.

In addition to providing standard translations of static interface elements, the MLU approach in PPM is designed to facilitate the work of both business configurators and translators. From a business perspective, configurators can continue to define and maintain custom PPM entity configurations in their own language without having to worry about setting up duplicate configurations in different languages. With MLU support, a single entity can have multiple translations associated with it.

From the translation perspective, translators can export entity attributes, translate them into multiple languages using their favorite computer-assisted translation tools, and then import the translations back into PPM, where that can be associated with the original configuration entity. This means that you need only configure custom entities once, and configure additional translations as needed. For details, see Managing Entity Translations

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View and work with PPM in MLU

After you deploy the language packs you need on PPM, each user must choose the language to use to interact with the system after logon. This becomes the session language, which remains in effect as long as the user is logged on.

To the extent possible, users see the PPM Center graphical interface (both the PPM Workbench and the standard interface) in the chosen session language. There are two main aspects to consider:

First, translations of all static text that is part of the PPM Center boilerplate interface are provided with each language pack. This includes standard form attributes in all screens, as well as text displayed in peripheral pages, such as:

• Printable HTML views of time sheets, requests, projects

• PPM-supplied JSP reports

• PDF exports such as project overview pages, work plans, PPM Dashboard pages, portlet data, task schedules

• Excel exports (search results, staffing profiles, others)

• Preconfigured email notification messages related to tasks, resource requests, packages, workflows, and time sheets. (Custom notifications are not translated.)

Second, many custom form attributes (such as custom fields on requests) also support multiple translations. For configurations that support MLU, you can add translations for each supported language in your PPM system.

From a user's perspective, if a translation for a given custom attribute exists in the user's session language, that attribute is displayed in the user's language. If a translation does not exist, it is displayed in the original language in which the configuration was defined (a process known as "translation fallback"). For a complete list of entities that support MLU, see Table 5-1. Translatable entity types.

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Supported languages

PPM supports the following multiple languages, with their code indicated in the parenthesis.

• English (en)

• Portuguese (pt_BR)

• Spanish (es)

• Chinese (zh_CN)

• German (de)

• French (fr)

• Turkish (tr)

• Italian (it)

• Japanese (ja)

• Dutch (nl)

• Swedish (sv)

• Arabic (ar）
• Polish (pl)
• Finnish (fi) (Available in 24.3 and later versions)

You can deploy additional languages by selecting them during a fresh PPM installation, or during an upgrade to PPM version 9.50, or any other time by deploying a language pack. The English language is always deployed during an installation or upgrade.

When you deploy a new language pack on your PPM Center instance, translations in the new language for all boilerplate text attributes in the user interface are automatically loaded into the system. In addition, property fields with default translations for the vanilla PPM Center configuration content provided by PPM are copied to the server file system and can be selectively imported into PPM Center using the standard translation management tools (see Managing Entity Translations). Depending on your level of usage and customization of the vanilla configurations, you may decide to import some of the default translations, or you may discard them if they are not relevant to your installation. Once the new language is deployed, you can then add your own translations in that language for your custom configurations.

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Translated Content and Translation-Management Tools

PPM provides translations for all static text attributes in the boilerplate user interface in all supported languages. However, to enable complete multilingual support for your PPM users, you must manage your own translations for the custom entities and master data that you configure based on the unique requirements of your business.

PPM provides a set of flexible command-line tools that you can use to export your custom attributes, and after you have them translated, import the translated attributes back into PPM. You can run these tools directly on the server, or via object-type commands in Deployment Management (or other automation solution).

The scope of the content you translate, and how often you have it translated, is up to you. For example, you could implement a periodic system-wide process to update all translations in the system on a regular basis. Alternatively, you could have specific attributes translated on an entity-by-entity basis, along with each configuration change, as needed.

The translation management toolset gives you the following functionality:

• Export attributes: Export your custom attributes (at specified level of granularity) in their definition language into standard "property" file format for use with standard computer-assisted translation software.

• Import translations: Import translations of you custom attributes from standard "property" file format into PPM.

• Generate translation reports to assess the state of the translations in your PPM system, and to assess the impact of importing new translations.

Translation management topics are addressed in Managing Entity Translations and Using Translation Management Tools.

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