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Merging String Tables

The Merge button on the String Table Editor window invokes a series of dialogs that walk through the merge process. In order to understand the reason for the merge operation, we need to examine the life-cycle of a typical multi-language project development.

1. The system developers define the initial string table. The total number of languages and the language names are defined using the Configure | Languages dialog.
2. The String ID names and the Reference Language (English) strings are initialized for all strings in the application using the String Table Editor.
3. The Window Builder Project file, along with the Window Builder executable program, are distributed to translators who will each fill in one column of the string table. These translators may reside at the same location, but could also be located all around the globe.
4. The translators return Window Builder project files to you, and the returned project files each have one or more additional columns of the string table filled in with translated strings.

The problem should now be obvious: The Merge operation will merge strings for selected languages from a second project file into the current project file. The process is actually very simple as you are guided step-by-step through the merge process. When Window Builder performs the merge, it looks for matching string ID names in the secondary project. For each matching string ID name, if the selected language in the secondary project has a non-NULL string value, that string value is copied into the current project for that specific string ID and language.

String Table

String Table Edit Fields

Exporting the String Table