Localization and Languages

Owned by Ben Wolfe
Last updated: Mar 12, 2019 by Daniel KayiwaVersion comment
3 min read

OpenMRS can be used in any language.  Currently it is translated into English, approx 54% into French, and 86% of it into Spanish. For a more up to date list of languages and their current percentage of translation, take at look at our transifex main page.

If you are running OpenMRS Reference Application 2.x and above, these features may be found in the legacy user interface (System Administration > Advanced Administration)

Changing your current locale

There are links at the bottom of every page in the footer for the different available locales

Permanently changing your locale

Go to My Profile page and change your locale.  You will have to log out and back in again to see it take effect.

Setting the available locales

Administrators can change the current list of available locales with a Setting (formerly Global Property from 1.9 downwards): locale.allowed.list

Go to Administration > Maintenance > Manage Global Properties

Use the two letter ISO-639-1 language code (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_639-1_codes for a list of codes)

This Setting (formerly Global Property from 1.9 downwards) modifies the list of locales at the bottom of the page and the languages in the concept dictionary.  The list of possible locale choices on the bottom of the page are modified with the locale.allowed.list, but only if there is a messages_xx.properties file to match the locale.  In order to show the OpenMRS pages in Haitian Kreyol, complete these 2 steps:

  1. add 'ht' to the global property 'locale.allowed.list'
  2. add messages_ht.properties to the TOMCAT_HOME/webapps/openmrs/WEB-INF/messages_ht.properties  

NOTE: The messages_xx.properties file will disappear on an OpenMRS upgrade, so keep a file backup to be re-installed later.

Setting a default locale

Set a Default Locale by going to Administration > Maintenance > Manage Locales and Themes

Adding new translations

Drop a new messages_XX.properties file into the tomcathome/openmrs/WEB-INF/  to add additional translations.  You will need to modify the Setting (formerly Global Property from 1.9 downwards) locale.allowed.list in order to choose the new language.  This file will disappear after upgrades, so be sure to keep a backup.

Also see How To Translate the OpenMRS Platform and Modules for more detailed instructions.