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When you insert label and text elements in a report, you typically type the text you want to display. Use literal, or static, text if a report will always be viewed in one language or locale. If, however, a report needs to be translated into multiple languages, BIRT Report Designer enables you to specify resource keys rather than static text. The resource keys are translated, or localized, in resource files.
If you are not familiar with resource keys or resource files, think of resource keys as variables and resource files as text files where the variables are set to their values. If a report needs to appear in four languages, you create four resource files to define text values for each language. At run time, BIRT uses the machine's current locale, the resource keys, and resource files to find the appropriate text value to display. The following illustration shows the function of resource files and resource keys in a localized report.
You can specify resource keys only for static text in label, text, and chart elements. For example, you can localize report titles, column headings, chart titles, and other static labels. Text values from a data set cannot be localized.
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