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Localised text elements

Localised best-language-match text strings (static properties matched through “Lookup”):

The first best language match according to the user’s preferred language choices expressed through the HTTP content negotiation (Accept-Language header parameter) or the system-default language, if there is no preferred language or no language match, is to be provided for each localised text element. In any case, the message does not indicate the returned language per localised text element.

This language matching type is called “Lookup”, see https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4647#section-3.4.

Example
    "name": "Frequency",

Localised text objects (variable properties matched through “Filtering”):

Optionally, all available language matches according to the user’s preferred language choices expressed through the HTTP content negotiation (Accept-Language header parameter) can be provided for each localised text element.

This language matching type is called “Filtering”, see https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4647#section-3.3.

Example
    "names": { "en": "Frequency",
        "fr": "Fréquence" },

In case that there is no language match for a particular localisable element, it is optional to:

  • return the element in a system-default language or alternatively to not return the element
  • indicate available alternative languages for the element’s maintainable artefact through links to underlying localised resources

The localised text object must be present and complete whenever the user’s preferred language choice is * (wildcard for any language). This mechanism allows transmitting of structures with their complete content (all localised elements and the knowledge about the locale) in contexts where all language versions are required or where the information on the language used is required.

It is recommended to indicate all languages used anywhere in the message for localised elements through http Content-Language response header (languages of the intended audience) and/or through a “contentLanguages” property in the meta tag. The main language used can be indicated through the “lang” property in the meta tag.