Setting up a Multilingual Reporting Environment

The samples databases provided with IBM® Cognos® store a selection of text fields, such as names and descriptions, in more than 25 languages to demonstrate a multilingual reporting environment. For information about how data is stored in the samples databases and how the samples databases are set up to use multilingual data, see the Administration and Security Guide.

Here is the process for creating a multilingual reporting environment:

• Use multilingual metadata.

  The data source administrator can store multilingual data in either individual tables, rows, or columns.

  For more information about configuring your database for multilingual reporting, see the Administration and Security Guide.

• Create a multilingual model.

  Modelers use IBM Cognos Framework Manager to add multilingual metadata to the model from any data source type except OLAP. They add multilingual metadata by defining which languages the model supports, translating text strings in the model for things such as object names and descriptions, and defining which languages are exported in each package. If the data source contains multilingual data, modelers can define queries that retrieve data in the default language for the report user.

  For more information, see the Framework Manager User Guide.

• Create multilingual maps.

  Administrators and modelers use a Microsoft Windows operating system utility named Map Manager to import maps and update labels for maps in IBM Cognos Report Studio. For map features such as country or region and city names, administrators and modelers can define alternative names to provide multilingual versions of text that appears on the map.

  For more information, see the Map Manager Installation and User Guide.

• Create a multilingual report.

  The report author uses Report Studio to create a report that can be viewed in different languages. For example, you can specify that text, such as the title, appears in German when the report is opened by a German user. You can also add translations for text objects, and create other language-dependent objects.

• Specify the language in which a report is viewed.

  You can use IBM Cognos Connection to do the following:

  • Define multilingual properties, such as a name, screen tip, and description, for each entry in the portal.
  • Specify the default language to be used when a report is run.

    Tip: You can specify the default language on the run options page, in the report properties, or in your preferences.

  • Specify a language, other than the default, to be used when a report is run.

  For more information, see the IBM Cognos Connection User Guide.

The data then appears in the language and with the regional settings specified in

• the user's Web browser options
• the run options
• the IBM Cognos Connection preferences

Any text that users or authors add appears in the language in which they typed it.