You can translate IGSS configuration texts, for example alarm texts and instructions as well as object descriptions, digital state names and digital command names into any language you want.
Texts in IGSS are divided into two categories:
- GUI (graphical user interface) texts, meaning all texts which are part of the IGSS program, independent of the various configurations.
- Configuration texts, meaning all texts connected to alarms or objects created in the specific configuration
Both text categories will be considered identical to the average user as GUI and configuration texts merge into one user-based experience but a system integrator or super-user/developer will have to differentiate between the two.
Configuration texts
Configuration texts can be translated by developers and deployed directly within the IGSS configuration while GUI texts must be translated in cooperation with the IGSS development team and deployed using the IGSS release or update channels.
All object-based and alarm-based texts in the IGSS configuration are stored in the Configuration database as a Microsoft Access database and can be edited through the MS-Access program or any other program capable of editing MS-Access databases (.MDB files).
The GUI texts cannot be translated in this fashion and must be translated in cooperation with the IGSS development team as access to the source code when building the IGSS program is required for deploying GUI translations.
The ConfigTranslate tool
If you want to translate the configuration texts in IGSS and the Microsoft Access program is not available to you, you can use the ConfigTranslate.exe tool provided in the IGSS program.
The ConfigTranslate.exe tool is found in the GSS folder of the IGSS installation. The default IGSS installation folder is Program Files > Schneider Electric > IGSS11 for 32-bit operating systems or Program Files(x86) > Schneider Electric > IGSS32 > V11.0 for 64-bit operating systems.
You can use the ConfigTranslate tool to open a configuration database, select a source language (the language you want to translate from) and a target language (the language you want to translate the texts to).
If the target language does not exist, you can create a new target language from within the ConfigtTranslate tool. You must however also ensure the new language is accessible in IGSS – see the section below regarding creating new languages.
When you are translating configuration texts, it is recommended to stop the IGSS configuration and close the Definition module to ensure no entries are being accessed in the configuration database while you are translating.
Open the ConfigTranslate tool
To open the ConfigTranslate tool, open the GSS folder of your IGSS installation and double-click the ConfigTranslate.exe file. The Translate IGSS configuration form will open.
Load and define configuration database
You must load the configuration and set up the languages.
- In the Translate IGSS configuration form, click the […] button to open the Select an IGSS configuration MDB file form and navigate to the configuration database you want to translate.
- Select the configuration database and click the OK button to close the Select an IGSS configuration MDB file form.
- In the Translate IGSS configuration form > Source language field, select the source language from the drop down list. The source language is the language you want to translate texts from.
- In the Translate IGSS configuration form > Target language field, select the target language from the drop down list. The target language is the language you want to translate texts to.
- If you want to create a new language, enter the three-letter language acronym in the New target field and click the Add target button. You can select the new language in the Target language field. See the Creating new languages section below.
Translate the configuration texts
In the grid area of Translate IGSS configuration form, select the row containing the text or alarm number reference and in the Target Text column, enter a translation text for the source text.
You can also select the source text row and click the Edit button to open the Translate text form.
Copy/Paste operations
You can use the CTRL+C, CTRL+X and CTRL+V shortcut keys to copy, cut and paste texts to and from the Windows clipboard. If you conduct copy/paste operations in the grid rows, you must first enable row editing by pressing the F2 button.
Committing and undoing changes
When you are done translating, click the Commit changes button to save your translations and update the configuration database.
You can remove all of your present uncommitted translations in the Translate IGSS configuration form by clicking the Discard changes button, but any translations that already have been committed prior to this will not be discarded as the database file has been updated. Instead, you can manually delete any erroneously committed translations.
Creating a new language
You can translate alarm texts or object texts for any languages in IGSS, even for unsupported or partially supported languages. If you want to translate texts for unsupported languages, you must first make these languages available for selection in IGSS.
Supported and partially supported languages are languages which the IGSS Development team facilitates the translation of the IGSS GUI texts. Supported language translations are made available through the normal IGSS release and update procedures.
Selecting unsupported languages
The supported and partially supported languages are available for selection on the Change Language button in the Home tab of the IGSS Master or in the System Configuration form > Supervise and Language tab > Language group > Primary and Secondary fields.
You can add additional unsupported languages to the drop down lists in the Primary and Secondary fields and the Change Language button mentioned above.
Create a new unsupported language in IGSS.
Create new unsupported languages in your IGSS installation by creating a new folder named with the three letter Microsoft language code in the GSS folder of the IGSS installation and restarting your IGSS Master.
Note that three-letter language codes must conform to the ISO 639x Microsoft language codes if the new language is to be selectable from within IGSS.
The three-letter language code is used in the System Configuration form and IGSS Master, but the different IGSS modules will utilize a two-letter language code. IGSS resolves this mismatch by using the first two letters of the three letter language throughout IGSS.
As a consequence, be aware of using three-letter language codes where the first two letters will be identical to the first two letters of other language codes
Some language codes, mostly ethnic-oriented or tribal languages, will be rejected by the .NET framework, despite using the three-letter Microsoft-based language codes. If you select one of these languages, you may experience errors and instability from within IGSS.
Updates only
The configuration translation tool is only available for IGSS 11 after you have updated your IGSS program.