Localization
About Localization
Localization is the process whereby a user interacts with platform using their preferred language and data formats.
The AgileApps Cloud platform Locale Settings provide a choice of data formats:
- My Settings > Locale Information - Formats chosen by the user for dates, times, and numbers, plus language.
- User Settings - Formats set for the user by the admin.
- Company Information Settings - Default user formats, and the Currency format, which can be changed only by an admin.
- Considerations
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- The Translation Workbench allows a Service Provider to support additional languages.
- If a user's permissions don't allow them to change their personal settings, then the default settings chosen by the company are effectively fixed.
Working with Localized Values
Interface Interactions
When working with the platform GUI, data is typically displayed and entered in User Format, as determined by the user's Locale Settings.
There are exceptions, however. When specifying numeric values that will be used in a direct comparison against database data.
In those cases, the Database Format must be used:
- Entering Search data
- Specifying Filter Criteria for a View
Numeric data entered in Web Forms must also be in Database Format.
Note:
Dates and Times are always specified in the User's preferred format, regardless of context.
Rules and Imports
The Database Format for numeric values must be used when:
- Specifying numeric values for a Rule
Ideally, that format will also be used when:
- Supplying numeric data for an Import operation
Exceptions:
- In a Pre-import Rule, numeric data is not coming from the database. In that context, the raw data is available, exactly as it appears in the incoming data. If the numeric data is in localized form, the Java Localization Functions could be used to convert the numeric fields to Database Format. (A method needs to be defined to use them in a Java Class, The method can then be invoked by a Rule action to do convert the numeric data. Or you can save yourself the effort by ensuring that incoming numeric data is in Database Format.
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- Incoming Data and Time values are always presumed to be in User Format
Java Programming
Most Java programming entails dealing with the database, which means that data provided in the APIs and returned from them are in Database Format.
The exception is in a JSP Page, where data entered by a user will generally be localized, as will the data displayed to the user. To convert between those two formats, the developer use the Java Localization APIs.
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Note:
The localization format is determined by the user who invokes the conversion method. So the same method produces appropriate results for different users.
REST Programming
When using the REST API, all data is specified in Database Format:
Field Format Date, DateTime, Time Currency, Number,
Number with Decimal,
Percent- No currency symbol or percent sign
- No grouping characters (e.g. commas) in whole-number portion
- A decimal point (.) before fractional portion
Ex: 84954.32
Lookup - The Record ID of a record in the target object.
Ex: 123A456B78
Multi Object Lookup Ex: 849Z:123A456B78
JavaScript Programming
In general, when coding Field Scripts and Form Scripts, the data will be in the user's localized format. Coders need to be aware of that fact when doing conversions and calculations.
If the code makes use of AJAX to make REST API calls to the platform, the data going to the platform must be in Database Format, as will the data coming back. That format applies to dates and times, as well.
To convert between the formats, use the JavaScript Localization APIs.