Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
Internationalizing Applications

Regional parameter files

A useful technique for controlling an OpenEdge client session or server is to use a parameter (.pf) file with a startup or connection command. OpenEdge provides parameter files that set up OpenEdge sessions appropriately for a wide range of countries. You can use parameter files to specify the correct code-page settings for international applications. For example, you could use the following parameter file to specify the code page settings for a Swedish application:

-d ymd -lng "Swedish" -cpcoll Swedish -cpcase Basic

The OpenEdge session you start with this parameter file displays dates by year, month, and day. It runs the Swedish language edition of the code that was translated using the OpenEdge Translation Management System (-lng “Swedish”). OpenEdge sorts character data according to Swedish alphabetization rules (-cpcoll Swedish). And it follows the guidelines in the Basic case table when converting between uppercase and lowercase characters (-cpcase Basic).

International parameter files are located in the DLC/prolang subdirectories. Parameter files are region or country specific rather than language specific, because they set options that can vary from country to country. The DLC/prolang/ger directory has parameter files for Austria, Germany, and Switzerland to account for differences among these German-speaking countries.