Internationalization Essentials Plugin (c) 2021

Overview

This plugin allows for configuration of languages using configuration files. The languages/translations are available to SIMPL Windows via an EISC Bridge, as well as internally to Essentials.

Configuration

{
  "key": "i18n",
  "uid": 18,
  "name": "I18N",
  "group": "utility",
  "type": "languageutility",
  "properties": {
    "defaultLocale": "en-us"
  }
}

Join Map

Digitals:
Join Number: 11   | JoinSpan: '150'  | Description: 'Language is enabled'                   | Type: 'Digital'      | Capabilities: 'ToSIMPL'
Analogs:
Join Number: 1    | JoinSpan: '1'    | Description: 'Select Current Language & feedback'    | Type: 'AnalogSerial' | Capabilities: 'ToFromSIMPL'
Serials:
Join Number: 1    | JoinSpan: '1'    | Description: 'Select Current Language & feedback'    | Type: 'AnalogSerial' | Capabilities: 'ToFromSIMPL'
Join Number: 11   | JoinSpan: '150'  | Description: 'Start for list of supported languages' | Type: 'Serial'       | Capabilities: 'ToSIMPL'
Join Number: 161  | JoinSpan: '150'  | Description: 'Start for list of supported languages' | Type: 'Serial'       | Capabilities: 'ToSIMPL'
Join Number: 401  | JoinSpan: '1024' | Description: 'Start Join for UI Labels'              | Type: 'Serial'       | Capabilities: 'ToSIMPL'
Join Number: 1501 | JoinSpan: '1024' | Description: 'Start Join for Source Labels'          | Type: 'Serial'       | Capabilities: 'ToSIMPL'
Join Number: 3001 | JoinSpan: '1024' | Description: 'Start Join for Destination Labels'     | Type: 'Serial'       | Capabilities: 'ToSIMPL'

Language Configuration

Currently, language configuration is done using the spreadsheet and Powershell script located in the language file generation folder.

Editing the Excel file

Metadata

The localeName value for a given language should match standard locale names. Locale names can be found in tthis github repo. The friendlyName value can be displayed on a UI to allow for easier language selection. Setting the enable value true for a given language will allow that language to be used. All 3 of these values will be bridged to SIMPL via EISC.

Language tab

Each language should have a corresponding tab named as {localeName}>uiLabels, as in the example file. The PS script looks for these tabs to generate the language configuration files

The Join value for an entry corresponds to the Join Number on the Touchpanel where the value will be displayed. This makes it easy to translate the VT-Pro/CH5 file to the configuration files. The key value should be unique for each entry in the list. The joinNumber column can be set using an offset from the Join value in a formula, or starting at 1 and incrementing. The joinNumber value is used to determine the placement of the text value on the bridge. The description value is not shown on the UI anywhere, and is used to make configuration easier, especially when using languages that don't use the western alphabet. The displayText value is the string that will be shown when this language is selected. UTF-16 is supported, allowing for languages such as Japanese to be displayed correctly.

Sections

Each language can have sections for uiLabels, sources, and destinations.

Generating the language files

To generate the langauge configuration files, enter the following command in a terminal or powershell window

.\GenerateLanguageFiles.ps1 -InputFile 'C:\Users\awelker\Documents\PDEngineering\epi-utilities-i18n\language file generation\languageDefinitions.xlsx'

Optional flags

-OutputFilePrefix - Add a prefix to the files output by the script -OutputFileSuffix - Add a suffix to the files output by the script -Compress - Generate the files with no whitespace. This will generate smaller files.

Uploading Files

The files can be uploaded to either the user folder or the user\languages folder.

Dependencies

The Essentials libraries are required. They are referenced via nuget. You must have nuget.exe installed and in the PATH environment variable to use the following command. Nuget.exe is available at nuget.org.

Installing Dependencies

To install dependencies once nuget.exe is installed, run the following command from the root directory of your repository: nuget install .\packages.config -OutputDirectory .\packages -excludeVersion. To verify that the packages installed correctly, open the plugin solution in your repo and make sure that all references are found, then try and build it.

Installing Different versions of PepperDash Core

If you need a different version of PepperDash Core, use the command nuget install .\packages.config -OutputDirectory .\packages -excludeVersion -Version {versionToGet}. Omitting the -Version option will pull the version indicated in the packages.config file.

License

Provided under MIT License