how to add language to my DSpace?

Question

I want to add "arabic" to my DSpace.

I configure this file :

[dspace]/config/dspace.cfg  

with this line:

webui.supported.locales = en, de, ar

Then I build Dspace and restart Tomcat.

But I can't find this file :

 "Messages.properties" at   
[dspace-src]/dspace/modules/jspui/src/main/resources/Messages.properties  

and how German can appear on my DSpace wherever I can't find

"Messages_de.properties" at  
[dspace-src]/dspace/modules/jspui/src/main/resources/Messages_de.properties 

Will I have other strange problems to customize my DSpace with arabic?

Answer 1

I haven't seen a copy of the Arabic translation of all the "messages" for DSpace, but someone may have started one, or you can build it yourself. If you have to start on Arabic language from scratch, you can copy

[dspace-source]/dspace-api/src/main/resources/Messages.properties

to

[dspace-source]/dspace/modules/src/main/resource/Messages_ar.properties

You would then need to fill in the keys/values.

The reason that German language works, is that DSpace fetches language files from the internet through Maven.

Look at the SVN repo for all the languages (Arabic not available): SVN link

If you need more help, its best to contact the dspace-tech mailing list. There is likely someone there who's solved this problem. And might have the Arabic message file.

Answer 2

For deployed web application language files are in dspace-api-lang-1.x.x.x.jar file (it is actually archived folder and x.x.x depends on version you work with). You can find it in [your JSPUI webapp location]/WEB-INF/lib folder.

You can, actually, extract required file with localization to [your JSPUI webapp location]/META-INF folder and edit if you need.

If you want to work with that translations during development, just copy that file from deployed webapp (or in "target" subfolder after project build) to [dspace-src]/dspace/modules/jspui/src/main/resources/ and you'll be able to edit it in IDE or text editor (or whatever ...).