How to manage data language and activate multiple languages

Target audience

Users who need to work with data in multiple languages within the application.

Purpose

This article explains how to set the data language, activate additional languages for the database, and switch between them. It also introduces the Translate Explorer tool for assisting with translations.

What is data language?

The data language determines the language in which data is stored and shown in the database. Unlike the application language (which controls menus and screens), the data language applies to the actual content you document.

You can store the same data in multiple languages by activating additional languages.

Steps to activate and manage data languages

Go to the Tools tab.
Click the Data drop-down button.
Review the list of active languages for the currently opened database.
To add or remove active languages:
- Select Active Languages from the drop-down.
- Add or delete languages as needed.
If multiple languages are active:
- Switch between them by clicking the desired language in the Data drop-down pop-out.

Translate Explorer

To assist with translating descriptions across languages, use the Translate Explorer tool.
For more details, see Translate Explorer (link to related article).

Important notes

Activating multiple languages allows you to maintain multilingual documentation in the same database.
Switching languages affects the data you view and edit, not the application interface.
Ensure the correct language is selected before entering or editing data.