7.1. Creating Alternate Message Templates

Creating Alternate Message Templates

Administrators can create alternate templates for action triggers that will generate Locale Specific messages. If you send notices in multiple languages, we recommend putting some words to that effect in your notice templates. The template, message and message title can all be localized. This allows libraries to set patrons' accounts to receive messages in languages other than English. 

Note: This feature does not automatically translate existing templates, and an Evergreen administrator must create new alternate templates for each desired locale.

This feature requires two separate elements to function properly:

1. Creating an alternate template in the language(s) of your choice.
2. Setting patron preferred language in account.

Creating alternate templates

System administrators can create alternate templates by following these steps:

1. From the Local Administration page, navigate to Notification/Action Triggers.
2. Make sure you're in the Event Definitions tab.
3. Locate the Event Definition (message) for which you would like to create an alternate template. Open it.
4. Go to the Edit Alternate Template tab in the Event Definition page.
5. Click New Template.
   
6. A pop-up window will appear with fields to fill in for the new template. Use the Template Locale drop-down to select the language.
7. Use the same template as the base notification you are adding the alternate template to. Put the translated message text in the Message Template field.
8. Make sure the Enabled box is checked and click the Save button.

Set Patron Preferences

In order for the alternate template you created in the last step to actually go out, patrons must have a language preference set in their accounts. Staff can set it via the Staff Client in the Edit screen of the patron's account, or while registering a patron.

1. Navigate to the Edit tab in a patron's account.
2. Locate the Patron Preferred Language field.
   
3. Select the appropriate language. At this time, you may choose from English (US), Czech, English (Canada), French (Canada), Armenian, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic (Jordan). Keep in mind that the actual language associated with any of these labels will actually be dependent on the translations you provide. 

Alternate Templates Administration

To use the feature the following UI elements have been added:

The templates used on the Edit Definition tab are the defaults that are used if there are no alternate templates available that match the preferred language. If alternate templates are available the system will use a locale that is an exact match and then if failing that use one where the language code matches and then fall back to the default one.

For example, if a patron has a locale of fr-CA and there are templates for both fr-CA and fr-FR it will use the fr-CA. If the fr-CA template was deleted it would fall back on using the fr-FR for the patron since it at least shares the same base language.

Valid locales are the codes defined in the i18n_locale table in the config schema.