Setting a language for your end users

Manage language settings in the BMC Helix Digital Workplace end-user console, including enabling or disabling languages for end users, setting a default application language, or allowing end users to override language settings. For example, as an administrator, you can enable German and Spanish, set German as a default language for the end-user console, and allow end users to select Spanish as their preferred language.

If multitenancy is configured in BMC Helix Digital Workplace, the language settings are tenant-specific. Super administrators manage languages for all subtenants of their organization. However, administrators of a specific tenant manage language settings only for their tenants.

(Version 23.3.03 and later) The BMC HelixGPT chat interface and system messages adopt the language settings of the end-user console. For more information about BMC HelixGPT localization, see (Version 23.3.03 and later) BMC HelixGPT and localization.

Before you begin

Make sure that all end-user console elements are localized based on the defined language settings by enabling the multi-language feature in the Catalog. If this feature is disabled, certain UI elements might be displayed in English (US) despite the console being localized. For more information, see Troubleshooting.

To enable or disable languages available for your end users

BMC Helix Digital Workplace supports multiple languages for the end-user console. As an administrator, you can enable or disable the required languages for your end users. By managing language availability, you focus the localization efforts on the required languages only and streamline the user experience across the available languages.

Important

This configuration doesn't affect language availability for localizing catalog items, titles, and messages in Catalog and the Admin consoles. All supported languages are available for localization activities in these consoles. See the list of supported languages in Supported-languages-and-locales.

Perform the following steps to enable or disable languages in the BMC Helix Digital Workplace end-user console:

In the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Admin console, navigate to Configuration > Languages.
To enable a language for your end users, select the language from the Available languages list.

By default, multiple supported languages are enabled. However, certain languages are not enabled by default, providing you with the flexibility to activate them at your convenience. For example, you can decide to activate a disabled language after a catalog administrator has localized all catalog items for it. For information about languages that are not enabled by default in the end-user console, see Supported-languages-and-locales.

To disable a language for your end users, clear the check box for the language in the Available languages list.
You can clear the selection for one, many, or all languages, except English (US).
Important
You cannot disable the following languages:
- English (US) because it is the system language of the end-user console
- A language that is set as a default language for the end-user console. For more information, see To set a default language for your end users.
Click Save.

Application language and other language settings

You have enabled the languages that are available for your end users. This configuration affects the following language settings:

Setting	Additional information
No additional setting selected	By default, the language of the end-user console depends on the user's web browser locale. BMC Helix Digital Workplace gets the locale from the browser settings and compares it with the list of the enabled languages. If the web browser locale is set to a language that is enabled for the end-user console, the console is displayed in this language. If the web browser locale is set to a language that is disabled for the end-user console, the fallback scenarios are enacted. For more information, see Fall-back support for languages and locales. For information about formatting of date, current time, and currency, see Country-specific formatting of currency and dates.
Override browser language	Only enabled languages can be set as a default application language that overrides the web browser locale.
Allow users to override this setting	Only enabled languages can be set as a preferred application language that overrides the default application language.

To set a default language for your end users

You can set a language that will be used to display content in the end-user console. This setting overrides end users' system and browser settings, and displays the content in your chosen language. The default application language provides your end users with the consistent language experience and ensures that all content is presented in a language that they understand.

Important

Only enabled languages can be set as a default language in the end-user console. Disabled languages are not available for selection.

In the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Admin console, navigate to Configuration > Languages.
To override the web browser's language settings, select the Override browser language toggle button.
To set a default application language for the end-user console, select a language from the Application language list.
Click Save.

The following table shows the options the administrator can use to set the language of notifications:

Selection option	End-user experience	Example
Administrator disables the Override browser language toggle key.	End user receives email and push notifications in the language selected for their browser settings. Important: If the web browser locale is set to a language that is disabled for the end-user console, the fallback scenarios are enacted. For more information about fallback scenarios, see Fall-back support for languages and locales.	End user Mark has set German as the browser locale and receives an email in German. If Mark wants to change the language, he must select another language in the browser settings and log in again.
Administrator enables the Override browser language toggle key, selects a language, and allows an end user to override it.	End user selects a preferred language, logs in again, and receives an email in the specified language.	The administrator selects Greek. End user Mark receives push notifications in Greek, but wants to read them in Japanese. He selects Japanese as a preferred language, logs in to the application again, and receives a push notification in Japanese.
Administrator enables the Override browser language toggle key and selects a language.	End user receives email and push notifications in the specified language.	End user Mark has set German as the browser locale, but the administrator selects French. If Mark logs in again, he receives emails in French regardless of his browser settings.

To enable end users to override the language setting

Select the Allow users to override this setting check box to enable your end users to select a preferred language that overrides the language you selected. End users can select a preferred language to align with the language of their company's region and get a personalized user experience.

In the user preferences, end users can select a preferred language that overrides the default language setting. Only enabled languages are available for selection.

What happens if an administrator disables a language selected as a preferred application language?

If an administrator disables a language that an end user has previously selected as a preferred language for the end-user console, the end-user experience will be as follows:

If the user session is active, all content is displayed in the disabled language, except for new bell, email, or push notifications.
After the user session expires and the end user logs in again, all content is displayed in the language that the administrator has set as the default language for the end-user console.

Fall-back support for languages and locales

If the web browser locale is set to a language that is disabled for the end-user console, the following fallback scenarios are enacted:

Scenario	End-user experience
The end user's browser locale is set to Portuguese, Portugal (pt-PT) but this language variant is disabled in the end-user console. However, Portuguese, Brazil (pt-BR) is enabled in the end-user console.	The end-user console is displayed in Portuguese, Brazil (pt-BR).
The end user's browser locale is set to Portuguese, Brazil (pt-BR) but this language variant is disabled in the end-user console. However, Portuguese, Portugal (pt-PT) is enabled in the end-user console.	The end-user console is displayed in Portuguese, Portugal (pt-PT).
The end user's web browser locale doesn't match any enabled language in the end-user console.	The end-user console is displayed in English (US).

Country-specific formatting of currency and dates

Date, current time, and currency represent the country-specific preferences of the end user. To determine the formatting of currency and dates, BMC Helix Digital Workplace compares the end user's browser locale with the language of the end-user console. This comparison mechanism is applied in the following cases:

When the language of the end-user console is based on the web browser locale
When a default language is set for the end-user console
When end users select a preferred application language

The following image shows how BMC Helix Digital Workplace determines the formatting of these country-specific elements:

BMC Helix Digital Workplace gets the end user's browser locale and its language code.
BMC Helix Digital Workplace gets the language of the end-user console and its language code.
BMC Helix Digital Workplace checks if the first two letters of the browser and the end-user console's language codes match.

If the first two letters of the language codes match, the date and currency are based on the web browser locale. If they don't match, the date and currency adhere to the end-user console language.

Scenario when two letters of the language codes coincide

If Portuguese, Brazil (pt-BR) is selected as a default language for the end-user console and the web browser's locale is Portuguese, Portugal (pt-PT), the currency, date, and time details adhere to the Portuguese, Portugal (pt-PT) localization.

Scenario when two letters of the language codes don't coincide

The application language is based on the web browser locale, and Italian (IT) is disabled in the application. If the web browser's locale is Italian (IT), the fallback scenario is enacted for the end-user console, and it is displayed in English (US). As a result, the currency, date, and time details adhere to the English (US) localization as well.

Troubleshooting

Consult the following table for information about troubleshooting common issues related to localization of the end-user console:

Issue/Symptom	Solution
Certain UI elements in the end-user console are displayed in English (US) despite the console being localized. For example, the end-user console is in Portuguese, Brazil (pt-BR), but the status bar in the Request Details view is displayed in English (US).	Enable the multi-language feature in the Catalog: As a Catalog administrator, log in to BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog. Navigate to Application Settings. Turn on the Multi-language toggle key, and click Save. For more information about the multi-language feature, see Localizing-catalog-items.