String substitutions and language switching

You can substitute strings for textual elements within a graphic. For general information about string substitution, see Substitute strings.

If you perform a first-time string substitution on an embedded graphic in the primary language, that substitution is shown in the secondary languages. You can then perform a substitution in the secondary language to create a string substitution specific to the secondary language.

If you perform a first-time string substitution on an embedded graphic in a secondary language, the substitution is also applied to the primary language, because the translated string that previously existed for the primary language is no longer valid. Because the primary language value is changed in the graphic, this string applies to all secondary languages configured. You can then perform a second substitution in the primary language, which will apply to all secondary languages except the ones that have had a specific substitution set.

If you perform a string substitution in a secondary language with an existing string substitution in the primary language, the new substitution is applied to the secondary language only.

The following design time and run-time rules are applied during a language switch to properly update an embedded graphic with the current substitutions for the language:

1. Apply the string substitutions from the default language.

2. Apply the string substitutions from the secondary language, if switching to a secondary language.

For example, an embedded graphic contains a text graphic with the text "English String." English is the default language. The following steps describe how changing the language affects string substitution for the embedded graphic:

3. While editing in the default language, you select an embedded graphic and open the string substitution dialog box.

4. You can see the old column with a value of "English String."

5. You replace the "English String" with "New English String."

6. You close the string substitution dialog box.

7. You switch to the French language.

8. You open the string substitution dialog box and see the string "New English String" in the old column.

9. You now replace the "New English String" with "New French String."

10. You close the string substitution dialog box.

11. You switch to the German language.

12. You open the string substitution dialog box and see the string "New English String" in the old column.

13. You now replace the "New English String" with "New German String."

14. You close the string substitution dialog box.

15. You switch to the French language.

16. You open the string substitution dialog box and see the string "New French String" in the old column.

If you select an alternate graphic, the string substitutions made on the initial graphic are reapplied to the new graphic across all languages.

The behavior of client control string substitutions are the same as the embedded graphics.