Multiple Language Implementation Using Member Properties

Analysis Services

Analysis Services

Multiple Language Implementation Using Member Properties

You can use the Member Caption property of a member property to display member captions and member property values in client locale-specific languages. For example, if an end user in France accesses a cube from a workstation with a French locale setting, the end user sees the member captions and member property values in French. However, if an end user in Germany accesses the same cube from a workstation with a German locale setting, the end user sees the captions names and member property values in German. Implementing multiple-language support for member captions is separate from yet similar to implementing multiple-language support for member property values. You can implement one without the other.

To implement multiple language support for member captions, the dimension table that contains the members must contain a column for each supported language. Each of these columns must contain the values for the member captions for one of the supported languages. It is best to dedicate one column for the default language. This column supplies member captions to end users when the locale settings of their workstations do not correspond to any of the specifically supported languages. When no member property of type Caption is defined, member names are used as member captions.

Note  To implement multiple language support for member captions, the client application must use the MEMBER_CAPTION column of the members schema rowset and axis schema rowset to supply displayed member names.

To implement multiple language support for member property values, the dimension table that contains the members must contain a column for each supported language. The column must contain the member property values for one of the supported languages. It is best to dedicate one column for the default language. This column supplies member property values to end users when the locale settings of their workstations do not correspond to any of the specifically supported languages.

Background for Examples

An Inventory cube for a chain of coffee shops contains an Item dimension that contains members for the items the shops keep in supply. These members are in the Item Name level. A member property called Rotation Interval is planned for this level. After columns are added to support member captions and member property values in French, German, and English, the default language, the Item dimension table (named Item) looks like this.


Item ID
French Item Name German Item Name English Item Name French Rotation Interval German Rotation Interval English Rotation Interval
1 Café Kaffee Coffee Mensuellement Monatlich Monthly
2 Sucre Zucker Sugar Annuellement Jahrlich Yearly
3 Crème Kreme Cream Par semaine Wochentlich Weekly
4 Lait Milch Milk Par semaine Wochentlich Weekly

Example for Member Names

To support member names displayed in French on French workstations, German on German workstations, and English on all other workstations, in the Item Name level, create the following three member properties with the following properties. You can set the properties in Dimension Editor.

  • Member property for French
    • Name property value is Member Name in French

    • Source Column property value is "Item"."French Item Name"

    • Language property value is French

    • Type property value is Caption

    • Caption property value is MEMBER_CAPTION
  • Member property for German
    • Name property value is Member Name in German

    • Source Column property value is "Item"."German Item Name"

    • Language property value is German

    • Type property value is Caption

    • Caption property value is MEMBER_CAPTION
  • Member property for English, the default language
    • Name property value is Member Name in English

    • Source Column property value is "Item"."English Item Name"

    • Language property value is (All)

    • Type property value is Caption

    • Caption property value is MEMBER_CAPTION

The Name property values can vary.

The Language property value (All) for the English member property indicates that English is the default language.

These member properties do not appear as member properties in the client application.

Example for Member Property Values

To support Rotation Interval member property values displayed in French on French workstations, German on German workstations, and English on all other workstations, in the Item Name level, create the following three member properties with the following properties. You can set the properties in Dimension Editor.

  • Member property for French
    • Name property value is Rotation Interval in French

    • Source Column property value is "Item"."French Rotation Interval"

    • Language property value is French

    • Type property value is Regular

    • Caption property value is Rotation Interval
  • Member property for German
    • Name property value is Rotation Interval in German

    • Source Column property value is "Item"."German Rotation Interval"

    • Language property value is German

    • Type property value is Regular

    • Caption property value is Rotation Interval
  • Member property for English, the default language
    • Name property value is Rotation Interval

    • Source Column property value is "Item"."English Rotation Interval"

    • Language property value is (All)

    • Type property value is Regular

    • Caption property value is Rotation Interval

The Name property values can vary, but each should be in the user's language.

The Language property value (All) for the English member property indicates that English is the default language.

The Caption property values can be different from Rotation Interval but must be the same for all languages.

See Also

Dimension Editor - Data View