OpenEdge parameter (.pf) files, which contain lists of startup parameters, are particularly useful for deploying applications across multiple locales. You can supply your users with a parameter file for each locale. OpenEdge itself supplies such a set of parameter files. These reside in the OpenEdge/prolang directory in subdirectories for each language. For example, the Russian parameter file, russian.pf, resides in the OpenEdge/prolang/rus directory. Here is the Russian parameter file:

-d dmy
-lng "Russian"
-cpcase Basic
-cpcoll Russian

# -cpinternal - Specifies the code page for all internal data processing.
# MS-Windows Code Page
  -cpinternal 1251
# DOS Code Page
# -cpinternal ibm866
# ISO Standard Code Page
# -cpinternal iso8859-5
# UNIX Code Page
# -cpinternal koi8-r

# -cpstream - Specifies the code page for all stream files
# MS-Windows Code Page
  -cpstream 1251
# DOS Code Page
# -cpstream ibm866
# ISO Standard Code Page
# -cpstream iso8859-5
# UNIX Code Page
# -cpstream koi8-r
Note: In parameter files, OpenEdge ignores lines that start with the pound sign (#).

The startup parameters you might localize appear in the following table.

Table 1. Startup parameters that can be localized
Startup parameter Description 

-cpcase
 Case table The name of the case table used by the OpenEdge database server and the OpenEdge client 

-cpcoll
 Collation table The name of a collation table within the convmap.cp file, or the name of a collation in the International Components for Unicode (ICU) library, used by the OpenEdge database server and the OpenEdge client 

-cpinternal
 Internal code page The name of the code page used internally by the OpenEdge database server and the OpenEdge client 

-cpstream
 Stream code page The name of code page OpenEdge uses for stream I/O 

-d
 Date format The format in which OpenEdge displays dates in the application 

-lng
 Language The value that the CURRENT-LANGUAGE function returns. 

-numdec
 Fractional separator The character that separates the integer portion and the fractional portion of a decimal number 

-numsep
 Thousands separator The character that separates each group of three digits in the integer portion of a number

You can also use parameter files with OpenEdge utilities, such as PROSHUT and PROUTIL. For more information on these utilities, see Manage the OpenEdge Database. For more information on startup parameters, see Startup Command and Parameter Reference.