Multi Language e

[Matt Malyschko]

I am looking to allow a user to input data in a foreign language, namely Chinese. Is there a way to allow FileMaker to use foreign language keyboards and such? I've seen a way to do it with labels where you check for the system language and then display a field based on that, with predefined data. But how would inputting work for the text fields and does Filemaker accept foreign characters?

[jbante]

FileMaker does accept non-Latin characters. The keyboard language is determined by the OS FileMaker is running on, not by FileMaker itself — FileMaker just accepts what the OS gives it. On Mac, input language is configured in System Preferences > Language & Text > Input Sources.

[Matt Malyschko]

FileMaker does accept non-Latin characters. The keyboard language is determined by the OS FileMaker is running on, not by FileMaker itself — FileMaker just accepts what the OS gives it. On Mac, input language is configured in System Preferences > Language & Text > Input Sources.

How does this work with IWP? What will happen if someone inputs in the foreign language to where the file is hosted? Is there a way to enable the user to enter foreign characters to what the system language is?

[jbante]

How does this work with IWP? What will happen if someone inputs in the foreign language to where the file is hosted?

 

I haven't tested entry of non-Latin characters in IWP. I presume that FileMaker would accept foreign characters as well as the desktop (again with the client OS being responsible for the entry method), but putting things on the web has a way of revealing unintuitive incompatibilities. Try it, and let us know how it goes!

 

Is there a way to enable the user to enter foreign characters to what the system language is?

 

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking here, but my guess is that you're asking if IWP can enable a foreign language entry method potentially different from what the client OS is using. My answer to that is: probably not. You might be able to build a virtual keyboard out of layout buttons for data entry, but that is not practical for languages with very large character sets. It's especially impractical for Chinese, where keyboard entry typically uses the Latinized pinyin alphabet and the OS intelligently converts it to Chinese characters — I'm very grateful that the OS engineers have taken care of that for me.

[Matt Malyschko]

I haven't tested entry of non-Latin characters in IWP. I presume that FileMaker would accept foreign characters as well as the desktop (again with the client OS being responsible for the entry method), but putting things on the web has a way of revealing unintuitive incompatibilities. Try it, and let us know how it goes!

 

 

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking here, but my guess is that you're asking if IWP can enable a foreign language entry method potentially different from what the client OS is using. My answer to that is: probably not. You might be able to build a virtual keyboard out of layout buttons for data entry, but that is not practical for languages with very large character sets. It's especially impractical for Chinese, where keyboard entry typically uses the Latinized pinyin alphabet and the OS intelligently converts it to Chinese characters — I'm very grateful that the OS engineers have taken care of that for me.

 

Not necessarily just for IWP, for the FMP client itself. My user informs me they are able to enter the foreign characters, in this instance Korean, but (from what he tells me - I'm not very good with foreign languages) Korean's write right to left, instead of left to right. So while the characters can be displayed, the text is entered backwards. Any ideas on this one?!

[jbante]

No clue. I'm seeing that FileMaker does not make a localized version for any right-to-left languages. Korean is one example where this is needed. Semitic languages (Hebrew, Arabic, etc.) are another.