RE: Can you do this with internationalisation.

[BERGENHOLTZ,ERIK (HP-NewJersey,ex2)]

If you check out http://developer.bluestone.com (look under demos ->
internationalization), you will see a sample application that does
essentially what you want to do. The application has been localized to
Spanish, Chinese and English. The language is "selectable" in a drop down.
In addition, your language preference can be set in your user profile as
well as detected through your browser preferences (ACCEPT_LANGUAGE header).

The source is also available for download.

Erik

PS - we don't use flags for the reason outlined by Craig.

-----Original Message-----
From: Craig R. McClanahan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2001 7:42 PM
To: Struts
Subject: Re: Can you do this with internationalisation.




On Thu, 7 Jun 2001, Alex Colic wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> my boss wants me to set up one of my apps written using struts for a demo.
> He wants to have a web page with a couple of flags. The use clicks on of
the
> flags and enters the program using the language they selected.
> 
> Not having gone down this road before any idea what that would entail. I
> know I would have to create multiple localisation files for the languages.
> But how do I specify for each user what file to use and can you have
> multiple users all accessing your program concurrently viewing it in
> different languages.
> 
> Some insight into the above is appreciated.
> 
> Alex
> 
> 

The technical information on how to do this (modify the Locale in the
user's session) is correct -- I just wanted to make a social comment on
your boss's request.

When I built an app in Europe a couple of years ago (which is where a lot
of the basic ideas for Struts came from :-), I was told that the use of
flags to select languages was pretty offensive to people living in
countries that were officially multilingual -- such as Belgium, where
large portions of the population speak Dutch and French.  Using flags for
The Netherlands and France would not really have been appropriate.

I ended up using a little SELECT element listing all of the languages that
were supported by the app, with a little JavaScript "onchange" handler
that submitted it whenever a change was made.  This also took lots less
space on the screen.

Craig McClanahan