Forms Translation Styles

The Schema class read-only formsManagement property contains the style of forms management used by a schema and its subschemas.

You can change the forms definition style of an existing schema and its subschemas only by using the Modify Schema command with the FormsManagementStyle expression in a command file of the JADE Schema Load ". For details, see the JADE Schema Load User's Guide.

The forms management style, represented by Schema class constants, are as follows.

• Multiple form definitions, multiple translations (FormsMngmt_Multi_Multi (0))

  In this default style, each base locale has a full definition of each form. The translation (form data) of each form, using the JADE Translator utility, is built using the private definition of that form, which allows the position and size of each control along with its caption (if present) to vary between translations. (For details, see "JADE Translator Utility", later in this chapter.)

  This provides the maximum flexibility at the cost of the greatest maintenance effort.

• Single form definition, single translation (FormsMngmt_Single_Single (1))

  At run time in this style, JADE displays only a form from the default locale of the schema, regardless of the locale with which the user is running. It is your responsibility to write methods that display alternative form translations, by assigning a translatable string to caption text during the form load method.

  Controls are expected to be painted large enough to hold all translations. The loading of a form and data definition (.ddb or .ddx) file loads only form and control data from the default locale of the schema.

  This results in savings when loading forms definition (.ddb or .ddx) files into the JADE database.

• Single form definition, multiple translations using translatable strings (FormsMngmt_Single_Multi (2))

  In this style, both the JADE Painter in the JADE development environment and the form data builder at run time detect the presence of a translatable string name and display the value of the translatable string from the appropriate locale.

  Controls are expected to be painted large enough to hold all translations. The JADE Painter maintains only a single definition of each form in the default locale of the schema.

  The extract of the forms definition (.ddb or .ddx) file extracts only the default locale of the schema, which is used by the form data builder to build a translation of the form for each base locale defined in the schema. At run time, JADE displays a form using the translation associated with the current locale of the user.

  This results in significant saving when displaying forms, as each of the property values listed in the following table do not have to be updated at run time and network traffic is therefore reduced compared to either of the other styles; that is, the value of each translation for the locale is placed in the form build data and in the transient object that is being constructed so that the values do not have to be fetched at run time.

  You can use the Add String dialog or the String Browser to translate the painted values of the properties listed in the following table, and then select the translated translatable string in the JADE Painter to apply the required translation to the property. For details, see "Translating Strings", later in this chapter, or "Translating Control Properties", in Chapter 5.

  Property	Class and subclasses of…
  bubbleHelp	Window
  caption	Button , CheckBox, JadeDockBase, Form, Frame, GroupBox, JadeMask, Label, MenuItem, OptionButton, Sheet, StatusLine
  helpKeyword	MenuItem , Window
  mask	JadeEditMask
  text	JadeEditMask , TextBox

  When the form is displayed at run time, each of these properties in the current schema and its superschemas are loaded. If any of these properties has a specified translatable string value, the $ string name is replaced by the string translation value for the locale currently in effect. That value for the locale is placed in the form build data and in the transient object that is being constructed.