Messages
Messages are language-related objects that enable you to deploy a Uniface application in different languages and locales. They are stored in language-specific libraries, and Uniface automatically chooses the appropriate library at runtime based on the configuration.
There are several types of message objects:
- Messages define any type text, short or long, that may be displayed to the user. They can be used for anything from field labels and menu texts, to error messages, to large blocks of static text. For texts intended as application messages, you can define the message severity (warning, error, or information). They can be referenced using the
$text function, in both label values and script.
For example you can create message texts for field labels in both French and English. By defining field labels with the $text ProcScript instruction, the application will display the language specified in the assignment file.
- Help texts are used in character-based applications to
display help about the application in a dedicated help window. You can optionally specify the
dimensions of the window in which help texts are displayed. They are displayed in response to the ProcScript
help command.
Note: In modern applications, there are better ways of providing user assistance, including tooltips, popup forms, and HTML-based help systems.
- Language setups define a language-specific definition (known as a variation) for specific types of Uniface objects, such as date and time formats, editor messages, button texts, and so on. For more information, see Language Setups.
When deploying the application, you can specify the language and library to use at runtime with the $LANGUAGE and $VARIATION settings in the application assignment file. These values are accessible in ProcScript using the $language and $variation functions.
