Configuring Oracle for Non-English Languages | ||
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Oracle uses an integrated national language architecture that supports national languages and character encoding. More than one language can be used to view and update a single database accessed by a broad spectrum of multilingual users. Language-dependent features can be customized for a specific application, user, or organization. Since a mixed environment of computer platforms may use different character-encoding schemes, character data passed between the client and server must be converted.
Some ENOVIA Live Collaboration configuration may be required for use of decimal characters other than a period. See the section ENOVIA Studio Modeling Platform Rich Clients Troubleshooting | Localized Decimal Character Settings in ENOVIA Live Collaboration ServerTroubleshooting and Diagnostics for more information.
Choosing a Character Set for the Oracle Server
The Oracle install program supplies a value for the NLS_LANG parameter based on the language selected for using the Oracle applications. The NLS_LANG setting is used to determine how to display the text for both the server and client software. Oracle clients may access a database specifying different character sets in their NLS_LANG setting, as long as the database character set is equivalent to, or a superset of, these character sets.
The NLS_LANG variable uses the following format:
NLS_LANG = LANGUAGE_TERRITORY.CHARACTER_SET
in which:
| Components | Description |
|---|---|
| LANGUAGE | Specifies the language and conventions for displaying of messages, day, name, and month names. |
| TERRITORY | Specifies the territory and conventions for calculating week and day numbers. |
| CHARACTER_SET | Controls the character set used for displaying text. This setting during database creation controls the character set used for data storage. |
It is important to differentiate between the character set used for storage and the one used for display.
Note: When the database is created, if you don't specify a character set for the database, it uses the one from NLS_LANG, and all character data stored will use this character set. Once the database is created, the character set cannot be changed without re-creating the database.
Currently, multiple languages can be supported in the following ways:
- ENOVIA Live Collaboration/Oracle supported operating systems in any language (including double-byte languages) can handle the native language and English at one time, using the database character set that supports their native language.
- English and Western European operating systems can concurrently support multiple non-English, single-byte languages, using WE8ISO8859P15 for the database character set.
- Only an English operating system may be used to concurrently support more than one double-byte language, or one double-byte language and another non-English language, using UTF-8 (or also AL32UTF8 and AL32UTF16) for the database character set.
In any of these scenarios, clients then set their NLS variables to handle the conversion for their language and territory.
Establishing the Character Set for the Server and Client
The default language setting of Oracle is American English. If you accept the default language on Windows, NLS_LANG is set to: AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1.
While this character set, WE8ISO8859P1 does support both English and Western European characters; it does not support the Euro symbol. The character set that does support the Euro is WE8ISO8859P15. This should be used for all English and Western European servers and clients. You can select other languages for viewing the software by clicking Product Languages from the Available Product Components page. Choose the languages needed for the DBA.
Establishing the Character Set for the Database
After Oracle products are installed, the ENOVIA Live Collaboration database (user) must be created with the language parameters defined properly. After the server is installed, the Oracle Database Configuration Assistant is used to create the database. If you choose Custom for the type of database, you can change the character set on the page where you set the DB name and SID. For English and Western European operating systems that support it, you should use UTF-8, AL32UTF8, or AL32UTF16).
You can also use a script to create the database. For example:
create database MATRIX
datafile 'd:\oradata\matrix\sys1matrix.ora' size 60M
logfile 'd:\oradata\matrix\log1matrix.ora' size 2M,
'd:\oradata\matrix\log2matrix.ora' size 2M,
'd:\oradata\matrix\log3matrix.ora' size 2M
maxdatafiles 255
noarchivelog
character set UTF8;
Once the database has been created with a character set other than the default, the Oracle owner's server startup file must have the environment set as follows:
ORA_NL32 = $ORACLE_HOME/ocommon/nls/admin/data NLS_LANGUAGE = German (optional) NLS_TERRITORY = Germany (optional)
Note: NLS_LANGUAGE and NLS_TERRITORY are optional. They should be set to the language preferences required by the System Administrator responsible for the Oracle server, and only need to be set if different from the settings in the database.
LD_LIBRARY_PATH = $ORACLE_HOME/lib:/usr/openwin/lib:/usr/dt/lib: ORACLE_HOME = ORACLE_SID = ORACLE_TERM = vt100 (supported Oracle terminal windows are listed in the Oracle installation manuals for specific platforms.)
If possible, match the ORACLE_TERM to the UNIX shell window defined in the user's .cshrc or .profile. Many display errors are due to new shells being created without using the appropriate Oracle startup parameter file.
As with all UNIX environment variables, be sure to export them. For example:
$ export NLS_LANGUAGE, NLS_TERRITIORY, ORA_NL32, NLS_LANG, LANG, LC_ALL, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, ORACLE_HOME, ORACLE_SID, ORACLE_TERM, SCRHOME, TERM, PATH
Loading Language Message Libraries on UNIX
Additionally for UNIX servers, you have the option of loading all available language message libraries during installation.UNIX platforms rely on message libraries compiled for specific UNIX platforms to display Oracle messages for all Oracle products. Loading all languages will load all compiled font message files for that specific UNIX platform during installation. Select all languages when installing, if adequate space is available. If an additional language message file is required after the UNIX server has already been installed, Oracle must be completely reinstalled and configured since the message files for each Oracle product are located in the product itself. Also, note that the last message file library loaded will be the default language for viewing.
Note: We recommend that you select "all languages" upon installation because if you need an additional language message file later on, you must completely reinstall and configure Oracle.