Translation

This section is not meant to provide general guidelines for translating texts in the R/3 System into foreign languages. It is merely an attempt to group together the most important precautions that need to be taken to ensure that the R/3 System can be translated into foreign languages.

Note: This section has been reduced to the user interface part.

Basic Rule

Translation of texts from English into other languages may increase the length of the text by 30 percent or more. If you do not leave enough room on the screen, translators are required to abbreviate terms beyond recognition. This has a negative effect on the legibility of R/3 task screens.

As a rule of thumb, you should allow space for text expansion by about one quarter to one third during the translation.

User Interface

Field Names

For field names, the standard lengths provided by the system are to be used so that sufficient space is available for the translation. Sometimes, the second largest length can be used, but there should be at least two blanks.

Short Texts

The same applies to short texts as to field names. However, due to the greater length, the translators have more room to find an appropriate word for the available space.

Menu Texts

For menu texts, the system standard is 20 characters; it cannot be changed by developers. If the menu texts are very long and the entries no longer fit on one line of the menu bar, they have to be split.

With pull-down menu texts, there are no problems.

Pushbutton Texts

The same applies to pushbutton texts as to menu texts, that is, the system provides a maximum of 20 characters. For pushbuttons, however, you have to keep in mind some special features, although these do not affect the translation. The system displays as many pushbuttons as can be accommodated in the window depending on the text lengths of the individual pushbuttons. Thus, if the developer wants to make sure that a certain number of pushbuttons is displayed in the standard size window, he/she has to abbreviate the texts, if necessary. On the other hand, the number of pushbuttons increases when the window is enlarged, providing a sufficient number of pushbuttons is defined; correspondingly, if the window is reduced, fewer pushbuttons are displayed.

Since some general functions previously in the application toolbar have moved to the standard toolbar, you can now display more application-specific pushbuttons.

Function Texts

During the enhancement of a user interface, problems can occur when replacing a function text. If this change is used to eliminate a guideline violation and if it does not change the nature of the function, it is useful. Otherwise, please always create a new function with a new function code!

Reason: The foreign language does not necessarily have the same status as the current German version. This may lead to unwanted functions being called. In extreme cases, "Save" could be replaced by "Delete".

Fields in Entry Transactions

Entries in fields of regular entry transactions cannot be language-dependent, unless a new key is assigned. As long as no suited tools are available, an assignment of a new key from external to internal display and vice versa has to be programmed explicitly.

Principle: Do not use language-dependent keys without assigning a new key.

One-Character Fields

In the past, one-character fields were used to make single selections or multiple selections. In future, these fields should be replaced by graphic control elements.

More Than One Characteristic

One-character fields, which can have more than one characteristic and which are used for choosing alternatives, can only have the values 0, 1, 2 ..., 9 or A, B, C, D, ...

Example

Tables in which options are chosen.

Here, you have to check whether those fields can be converted into lists of radio buttons with mnemonic field names.

Exactly Two Characteristics

One-character fields, which have a toggle and which can have exactly two characteristics, can only have the values 'X' and blank (for example, "Overdelivery allowed", "selected", and so on). Here, one-character fields should also be converted into checkboxes (multiple selection) or radio buttons (single selection). This way, you can also make sure that the task receives the correct, that is, language-independent entries.

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