Digital Workshop

Hi,

I'm creating a software e-learning and I need to put it in many languages.
What's the best idea or solution to do it?
First of all, I thought about using Excel files where I store every instructions for each language in separate files, I mean one Excel file per language.
The user must choose one language at the beginning, so there is some way to store that language (excel file, for example: English_Lessons), as a session or something like that. Works good if I use different queries in each page, but I want a language selected! And that help appears in every page.
What I want is when the user selects one language, make some way to put it stored and just use the file for that language selected.

If someone has a better idea for implement languages in my publication, I accept the suggestions.

Regards,
Pedro.

I think you will find some additional ideas here: A list of previous Posts that may relate to multi-language pubs.
search.php?keywords=languages&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=all&sk=t&sd=d&sr=topics&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

For a multi-language Pub, I would tend to think of it as two schemes: one to handle the User interface (Buttons, controls, instructions), and one to manage & display Content from sources. For example, large sections of text information might come from different files, or the sections can be stored in excel, a DB, or an INI file.

For buttons and other interface variations -- read through some of the previous posts. By using Opus Master Pages and by using a variable for a Button label, you can go quite far easily.

I know in theory what I have to do. You are right, I use buttons as interface, and Excel files as storage/background to get the sources.
I just wanted to know opinions, because I will have maybe around 500 pages in my publication, so I want the easy way for don't spend a lot of time to do it, such as duplicate the pages for 5 languages. It's useless and not good programming.

But I don't know if it is possible to do how I want, like select the Language file just with one single page/button/text whatever, for all the languages. However, I know that the software has some limitations, for what I've seen until now.

By the way, do you know how exactly works the INI files?

Thanks.

I would say 'Yes', it is possible to create for example one Opus Page and have it display different text content based upon which language is selected. Exactly how to do this becomes a design choice -- e.g., how complex the Page is (are there many text objects, is there a lot of conditional branching and changing of content while on the Page, etc.); and another factor is this: do you want the User to select Language once at the beginning OR be able to switch languages while viewing a Page (and presumably, then swap content at the current state of progress on that page and not restart the page).

I have only worked with INI files a small amount to test the feature and to determine the practicality. I decided to use SQLite database instead.
Here is one thread that discusses INI file in more depth: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2566&hilit=INI+file
I should mention that the Pub TYPE needs to be Full Opus Professional type, not Flex or web-based etc... and that you access INI files with scripting (I think not available in std actions?)
Ref in the OpusScript Help File:
GetINIFileData()
Syntax:
GetINIFileData( FilePath, Section, Key )

If you do not want to get into writing scripts in Opus to use INI files, you still may be able to use Opus' Standard Actions to get discreet bits of data for Button labels and instructions, etc -- specifcally under category of Storage ...think 'field'. Read and write to files.
Includes the Read Next Field from File Action

If I were creating a multi-language Pub with hundreds of content files (.txt, .rtf, or .html... or .INI), I might consider a simple approach -- put the French files in one folder, and the German files in another folder. Use the exact same name for the files. Then all I need to do is set or choose the PATH once.

Create a Publication variable to store the path string. for example, langPATH var could store User selection initially done on a 'landing' page (radio button or other method):
SYSTEM_PUBLICATION_DIR\\content\\french\\Paris_info.txt
SYSTEM_PUBLICATION_DIR\\content\\german\\Paris_info.txt

On the Opus Page, you create a Text Object. You have several methods to populate the text there:
One way: set the object Properties >>> Text tab --- to automatically read in this disk file
Other: Right-Click when editing/insertion point, and Insert Variable (use the Read File actions)
Please do read this entry in the Help File -- it may solve much of the perceived obstacle.
Using Variables To Create Pathnames

The Read and Write actions in the Storage menu contain a Filename field. This field is used to enter the pathname of the file you want to create or read information from. Opus provides four different ways of entering the pathname to this field (in Standard Action dialog), they are as follows: (see help file)

There are yet other ways to achieve and control variation of content text or documents. ( Multiframes, or Browser object w/local file, or _____?______). Search the forum and see what other people considered.

I should add something I've overlooked. In my above post, I was thinking about languages that read from left to right, and that use roman alphabet or western characterset.

In the case of accommodating other charactersets and orientations, I expect you may need to show/hide different Text Objects where you can tailor each one to those language display options. There are very easy ways in Opus to show/hide, do alternative display of objects, etc. Whether you use one Page to hold multiple configurations of text objects, or use different Pages or different Chapters & Pages -- is a choice you have to make based on your feel for the benefits and tradeoffs.

IMO, at some point you may find a browser object and html pages offer a great amount of flexibility here.