How to set the language for creating labels and metadata

Explanation

When you create a concept or choose to add a new alternative label, a field appears for you to enter a text string, followed by a drop-down menu that shows the language for the string. By default, that menu is set for the default language of the model. If you want to enter the label in a different language, you can click the menu and change the option.

However, sometimes you may want to add multiple concepts or labels for a given language that is not the default language (for instance, if you want to add French labels to a model that has English as its default language). For this task, it becomes tedious to change the language every time you create a label.

If you have the role of MANAGER, then it is possible to change the default language for all users (see change-language-for-default-display). This article, however, explains how you can for yourself set a language other than the model default and have that new language apply for the creation of all new concepts and labels while you are working in a given model.

Assumptions

• You have any of these roles for the model: MANAGER, EDITOR, CONTRIBUTOR. (This article does not apply to the role REVIEWER, since it is not allowed to make changes.)
• You have an existing model.
• You have more than one language activated in the model for use. (Note: You do not need to have any language packs installed to use languages in the model.)

Method

1. From the main KMM screen, open a model (in this example, Space Missions).
2. Click Open Master or click and open a task.
3. Expand a branch of your model. Note the language showing in the language filter menu (#1 in image). In this example, it is set to “English (en)”).
   Notice also that the concept labels appear in that language (#2 in image).
   
4. Click any concept to view its details. Note in the details view that existing preferred labels or alternate labels show with their respective language codes.
   
5. Click Create a preferred label. A new field will appear for you to enter the new label string. Note that the language menu option is set as the model default language (in this example, “English (en)”).
   
6. Click the arrow beside the language filter menu to expand it, and then choose another language from the list (in this example, French (fr)).
   
7. In the concept details pane, again click Create a preferred label. Note this time that the language menu option for the label matches the new language you chose from the filter menu (in this example, “French (fr)”).
   
8. Click a new concept and choose to add an alternative label. You will see the same result, that the new language appears as the language for the new string.

Outcome

As you continue to edit the model, the language that appears for new labels will always match the language chosen in the language filter (as shown above).