How the SAPUI5 Text Repository Works

If you cannot use the recommended translation approach, the SAPUI5 tools for Eclipse provide a fallback mechanism, where the translated texts are not stored in properties files, but in the SAPUI5 text repository.

To use the SAPUI5 text repository, you have to set up default properties files in a special way which identifies it as relevant for the SAPUI5 text repository (details see below). If you submit a default properties file like this to the SAPUI5 ABAP repository, the texts stored in this default properties file are written to the language-dependent database tables of the SAPUI5 text repository as well as to a transport request. The master language of the SAPUI5 ABAP repository is taken as the master language for the submitted texts. As usual for language-dependent database tables, the texts can then be translated using transaction SE63, usually in a separate system. Once the translated texts are transported back to the respective systems, they can be accessed at runtime when texts in a certain language are requested.

To use the SAPUI5 text repository, you have to add the following key as the first line in the properties file with texts that you submit to the SAPUI5 ABAP repository:

# SAPUI5 TRANSLATION-KEY <GUID with 32 characters>

You can create the GUID with the ABAP function module GUID_CREATE, or you can create the complete line with the ABAP report /UI5/TEXT_FILE_GEN_TRANS_KEY. (A UUID as used in Java is also supported.)

Caution

The GUID serves as a unique identifier for the properties file. Never change the GUID or copy it to other properties files.

The properties file has to fulfil the following rules:

It doesn't contain any duplicate text elements.
The text must be on one line and can have a maximum of 255 characters.
A text type is assigned to every text element.

Accidental overwriting of texts in the SAPUI5 text repository with texts from other properties files is prevented. If a duplicate GUID is detected, the properties files cannot be synchronized. It's not possible to rename or relocate a properties file and to submit it once it's contained in the SAPUI5 text repository. Before you can rename or relocate a properties file, you have to remove the texts from the SAPUI5 text repository by using the report /UI5/TEXT_ENTRIES_DELETE.

Caution

If you run this report, all translated texts get lost. That's why you use this report only for texts that are not yet translated.

After running the report, submit the renamed or relocated properties file again.

If you reassign the BSP application on the ABAP server (representing a single SAPUI5 repository) from a local ($TMP) package to a non-local package, you also need to resubmit the properties file. All text elements are generated again with the new creation time stamp.

Note

Since the master language of the SAPUI5 ABAP repository serves as the master language of the texts (see above), it's important that you use the same language for the creation of the repository that was used for the properties files.When you use the SAPUI5 repository team provider and create the BSP application manually, you have to choose the correct language on the logon screen.