Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.abakion.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Translations

New
  • Updated on May 22, 2026
  • Published on Mar 2, 2026
  • 10 minute(s) read
  • AF
 Prev Next

Feature Overview

Translations allow you to provide language-specific descriptions for both Information Codes and Information Values. When a specification flows to a sales or purchase document, the app automatically selects the description that matches the language code on that document — so a customer in Germany sees the attribute label and value in German, while a customer in France sees it in French, without any manual intervention.

The translation is stored separately from the main description. The main Description field on an Information Code or Information Value always holds the default (typically English) text. For each additional language, you add a translation record that pairs a Language Code with an alternative Description. At document generation time, the app looks up whether a translation exists for the document's language code and uses it if found; if no translation exists for that language, the default description is used as a fallback.

Translations work at two levels. At the Information Code level, the translation replaces the attribute label — for example, "Colour" becomes "Farbe" in German. At the Information Value level, the translation replaces the individual option label — for example, "Red" becomes "Rot". Both levels are configured through the Language action available on the Information Code Card and the Information Value List respectively.

Two settings in Master Data Information Setup control how translations interact with merged descriptions and standard BC item data. Default Language has three independent effects: it is the primary language used when generating Merge Descriptions; it determines which BC Item Translation row is excluded from the non-default language loop in Update Item Translation; and — independently of both those features — it causes the item's Description and Description 2 to be automatically mirrored to the BC Item Translation row for that language code whenever the item's Description 2 field is saved. Update Item Translation automatically writes the merged Description and Long Description to the standard BC Item Translation table whenever specifications change — one row per language code that has translations configured, with the Default Language row receiving the plain description rather than the merged output. This keeps BC's own Item Translation table in sync with MDI specification data, so other BC features that read Item Translations see up-to-date descriptions.

Key Facts

Area Detail
Where to set up Language page, accessed via the Language action on the Information Code Card or Information Value List
What is translated Information Code descriptions, Information Value descriptions
How the language is resolved Matched to the Language Code on the sales or purchase document
Fallback behaviour If no translation exists for the document language, the default description is used
Default Language Set in Master Data Information Setup — mirrors the item's Description and Description 2 to a BC Item Translation row on every Description 2 save; also used as primary language for Merge Descriptions
Update Item Translation Set in Master Data Information Setup — when enabled, writes merged descriptions to BC Item Translation for every configured language code (except the Default Language row) whenever specifications change
Integration points Information Codes, Information Values, Extended Texts, Master Data on Documents, Merge Descriptions

Getting Started

  1. Ensure the Create Description field is set on the Information Code Card for the code you want to translate. This field must point to a valid Description Setup code (e.g. IC_IV) — if it is blank, specification entries for this code will have an empty Description field and translations will have no effect on document output.
  2. Open the Information Code Card for the code you want to translate.
  3. Choose the Language action to open the Master Data Language page.
  4. Add a new line: set Language Code to the target language (e.g. DEU for German) and enter the translated Description.
  5. Save and close.
  6. To translate the values of this code, open Information Values from the Information Code Card.
  7. Select a value line and choose the Language action.
  8. Add a line with the same Language Code and enter the translated Description for this value.
  9. Repeat for each value that needs a translation.
  10. Repeat the process for each additional language you need to support.

Related Features

Translations are closely linked to Information Codes and Information Values — they extend the descriptions defined on those records with language-specific alternatives. Extended Texts works alongside translations: extended text entries also support per-language content, so longer descriptions can be translated as well. Master Data on Documents is where translations come into effect — when generating documents, the app resolves the correct language and uses the translated descriptions for both code labels and value labels. Merge Descriptions uses translated descriptions when generating merged text in a specific language context — the Default Language setting in Master Data Information Setup controls which language is used as the primary merge language. When Update Item Translation is enabled (also in Master Data Information Setup), the merged description output is automatically written back to the standard BC Item Translations table for every language that has translations configured, keeping BC's native translation data in sync with MDI specifications.

User Stories

US-01: Translate an Information Code label for use on foreign-language documents

As a Sales Manager
I want to provide a German translation for the "Colour" Information Code label
So that German-language sales documents show "Farbe" instead of "Colour" on the specification lines

Setup:

  1. Open the Information Code Card for COLOUR.
  2. Choose the Language action.
  3. Add a line: Language Code = DEU, Description = Farbe.
  4. Save.
US-02: Translate Information Values for a multilingual product catalogue

As a Sales Manager
I want to translate all colour values into German and French
So that documents printed for customers in those countries show the correct colour names

Setup:

  1. Ensure the Create Description field on the Information Code Card for COLOUR is set to a Description Setup code (e.g. IC_IV). This is a prerequisite — if Create Description is blank, the Description field on specification entries is never auto-populated from the Information Value, and translation lookups during document output will find nothing to translate.
  2. Open the Information Code Card for COLOUR and choose Information Values.
  3. Select the RED line and choose the Language action.
  4. Add a line: Language Code = DEU, Description = Rot.
  5. Add a line: Language Code = FRA, Description = Rouge.
  6. Save and repeat for all remaining values.

Note: The Create Description field controls how the specification entry's Description is built when an Information Value is selected. It must point to a valid Description Setup code for the translated description to be used on documents. If this field is blank on the Information Code, the description will be empty and translations will have no effect on document output.

US-03: Verify that the correct language appears on a printed document

As a Sales Order Processor
I want to confirm that a sales quote printed for a German customer shows German attribute labels and values
So that the customer receives a professional document in their own language

Setup:

  1. Ensure the customer record has Language Code = DEU.
  2. Ensure the relevant Information Code and its values have German translations configured.
  3. Create a sales quote for the customer, with items that have specifications assigned.
  4. Print the quote. The specification labels and values should appear in German.

Note: The language resolution is based on the Language Code field on the document header. If no Language Code is set on the document, the default descriptions are used. Also ensure the Create Description field is configured on the Information Code — if it is blank, the specification entry's Description is never populated and there is nothing for the translation lookup to return.

US-04: Use a fallback description when no translation is available

As a Business Manager
I want to understand what happens when a document is printed in a language for which no translation has been set up
So that I can decide whether to add more translations or accept the default text

Setup:

  1. Print a document in a language that has no translation configured for the relevant Information Code or Value.
  2. The default Description from the Information Code or Information Value record will be used automatically.
  3. If the default text is acceptable for that language, no further action is needed. If not, add a translation record for that language code.
US-05: Translate an Information Code that is used across multiple entity types

As a Business Manager
I want to translate the "Payment Terms" Information Code that is used on both customers and vendors
So that documents for both entity types show the translated label

Setup:

  1. Open the Information Code Card for the relevant code (with Table left blank so it applies to all entity types).
  2. Choose the Language action and add translations for each required language.
  3. The translation applies wherever the code appears, regardless of entity type.
US-06: Use Default Language to keep a BC Item Translation row in sync automatically

As a IT Manager
I want to set the Default Language in Master Data Information Setup
So that the item's Description and Description 2 are automatically mirrored to a BC Item Translation row for that language whenever the item is saved

Setup:

  1. Open Master Data Information Setup.
  2. Set Default Language to the target language code (e.g. DEU for German).
  3. Save.

From this point, whenever an item's Description 2 field is saved, the app automatically writes the item's Description and Description 2 to the BC Item Translation row for the Default Language — creating the row if it does not yet exist. This happens independently of Merge Descriptions and Update Item Translation.

Note: Default Language also acts as the primary language when generating Merge Descriptions (if configured), and determines which Item Translation row is excluded from the non-default language loop when Update Item Translation is enabled.

US-07: Automatically keep BC Item Translations in sync with MDI specifications

As a IT Manager
I want to enable Update Item Translation so that the BC Item Translation table is automatically updated whenever specifications change
So that other BC features and integrations that read Item Translations always see the current merged descriptions in each configured language

Setup:

  1. Ensure Merge Item Description is configured in Master Data Information Setup (the feature only fires when a merge description type is active).
  2. Ensure Information Codes contributing to the item's description have Include in Type Description or Include in Long Description set, and have language translations configured for the languages you want to maintain.
  3. Open Master Data Information Setup and enable Update Item Translation.
  4. Optionally set Default Language to the language code that should map to the item's primary Description and Long Description fields.
  5. Save.
  6. From this point, whenever a specification on an item changes, the app recalculates the merged description for each language that has translations configured and writes the result to the corresponding BC Item Translation row (Description and Description 2 fields).

Note: Update Item Translation only processes languages that have translation records set up in the Master Data Language table. Languages without translations are not written to Item Translations — only the base item Description and Long Description are updated for those. The feature applies to items and item variants.

Field Reference

Field Where to find it What it does Default
Language Code Master Data Language page (via Language action) The language this translation applies to —
Description Master Data Language page (via Language action) The translated description shown on pages and documents for this language —
Default Language Master Data Information Setup When set, automatically mirrors the item's Description and Description 2 to the BC Item Translation row for this language code whenever Description 2 is saved — independently of Merge Descriptions. Also used as the primary language when generating Merge Descriptions, and identifies which Item Translation row is excluded from the non-default loop when Update Item Translation is enabled Blank
Update Item Translation Master Data Information Setup When enabled, automatically writes the merged Description and Long Description to BC Item Translation for every configured language (except the Default Language row, which receives the plain description) whenever a specification changes. Requires Merge Item Description to be configured Disabled
Related articles

abakion@abakion.com