Language Settings

Help index


Supported languages

ST/X itself is independent of the language; all messages are translated via textfiles, which are read at startup time, or when the language setting is changed.

These resource files are searched along the package-searchPath in a directory named "resources" in the corresponding classes' package-directory. Typically, these are located in "/opt/smalltalk/packages" or "/usr/local/lib/smalltalk/packages".
However, you can create a private "resources" subdirectory, and place modified versions of those files there (if you don't like the standard messages).

For example, the translations for the NewLauncher class (which is in the 'libtool'-package) is typically found in "/opt/smalltalk/packages/libtool/resources/NewLauncher.rs".

Translations for a particular language may or may not be present in those files - if not, the original internal messages (english) are used.

When editing those files, be aware that they may contain 8bit national characters or even invisible escape sequences (the japanese files do).
Use an editor which is prepared to handle 8bit (or even 16bit) characters -

WARNING: some system's editors silently strip of the highest bit and thereby corrupt these files. (old versions of vi are known to do this)
We recommend using ST/X's fileBrowser.

For some languages (i.e. japanese), you need a font which is capable of displaying those characters. The launcher/fileBrowser will open a fontDialog, asking for a font change, if required.

Changing the language during your session

Changing the language during a session only affects new views; existing views (either iconified or open) keep their resources as valid when created. The reason is that these language translations are cached internally within the view instances.
This may be somewhat annoying with popupMenus: the old view continues to display the previous language strings, while the (new) popupMenus already show their texts in the changed language.

Sorry for that inconvenience - but we assume that the language is not changed too often during sessions ;-), and supporting dynamic language changes would require quite some programming effort, as the geometry of all windows could change, due to changed label strings.

The launcher responds to language changes by reopening a new launcher view.
You should close all other views and reopen them anew.

Setting a default language

When started, ST/X sets the language from the shell environment variable ``LANG''.
Thus, you may add a line such as:
    setenv LANG de
or:
    LANG=de
    export LANG
to your login profile (if not already present).

It is also possible, to set the language in the "private.rc" startup file, which should be in your startup directory or in "$HOME/.smalltalk".
To do this, add a line as:

    Smalltalk at:#Language put:#de

Rereading the Resource files

The new language dialog offers an additional button, to reread the translations.
This is useful after the translation files have been edited.
However, it will only affect new windows, and the Launcher is not reopened.

Asking for help

Please excuse me, if translations for your language are imprecise, funny, wrong or even offending. Some of those translations were created by looking up dictionaries - and we will correct them as soon as possible.

Please help us by sending back suggestions and/or corrected texts - thank you.

Further reading

For more information, read "Configuration & Customization".


Copyright © Claus Gittinger Development & Consulting, all rights reserved


Doc $Revision: 1.12 $ $Date: 2009/09/21 13:52:21 $