The powerful multilingual features of Microsoft® Office XP give you a lot of flexibility in configuring Office for international users. Microsoft Windows® 2000 offers even more language-specific options and capabilities. With that flexibility, however, comes complexity. This document is intended to explain the useful but sometimes daunting matrix of alternatives available in Office and Windows.

Hierarchy of language options

To sort out the variety of language features, it is helpful to describe them as a four-layer hierarchy:

• Operating system layer
• User layer
• Office layer
• Document layer

Operating system layer

The operating system layer provides fundamental language resources to all applications running on the computer. This layer defines the default code pages and fonts. For example, in the German version of Windows, the German code page and font settings are defined in the operating system layer. Under Windows 2000, the operating system layer also determines the available group of language resources. Changes to language settings in the operating system layer affect all users and applications on the computer.

User layer

The user layer provides language resources specific to the user logged on to the computer. This layer defines which keyboard and sort order are used, and how numbers, currency, time, and date values are displayed by all applications that are run under the user account. For example, in the user layer you can set the default currency symbol for a particular user to the euro (€). Changes to the user layer affect only the user account in which the changes are made.

Office layer

Settings in the Office layer define the language of the user interface and Help in Office applications. In addition, settings in this layer determine which languages the user can enter into documents. For example, if you set the Help language to French in the Office layer, then Help for all Office applications is displayed in French. Changes in the Office layer affect only Office applications, and only within the user account in which they are made.

Document layer

The document layer defines the language settings and tools that are used in a specific Office document. For example, you can set the language of an individual paragraph in a Microsoft Word document to Spanish. Changes in this layer are stored within the document and do not affect any other documents.

How language settings interact

Starting with the operating system layer and working up to the document layer, each layer of language settings provides resources and default values for the next successive layer. For example, the keyboard layout in the user layer is used by some Office applications to define the default language setting used in the document layer.

Language settings in the operating system layer

Language settings in the operating system layer include the installation language for Microsoft Windows and the default code pages and fonts available for use by all applications on the computer. Under Microsoft Windows 2000, the operating system layer also includes one or more language groups that define the list of related language resources that are available on the computer.

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Note   For more information about the support for international features in Windows, see Choosing an Operating System.

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Windows installation language

The language in which Windows is installed is used in all Windows user interface components, including the Desktop, Start menu, and Windows Help. You cannot change the installation language without reinstalling Windows.

Language groups in Windows 2000

In Windows 2000 only, a language group is a set of all the localized resources needed by the operating system to support a particular collection of languages. These resources include code pages and fonts. The list of installed language groups controls which user locales, input locales, and system locales are available.

When you install a language group, Windows 2000 copies the necessary keyboard files, Input Method Editors (IMEs), TrueType® font files, bitmap font files, and national language support (NLS) files to the computer. Adding a language group also adds registry values for font linking and installs scripting engines for complex script languages (for example, Arabic, Hebrew, Indic, and Thai).

To install a Windows 2000 language group

1. In Control Panel, double-click Regional Options, then click the General tab.
2. In the Language settings for the system box, select the check box next to the language group you want to install.

   To remove a language group, clear its check box.

After you install a language group, you can select from those languages to set the system locale.

System locale

The system locale (sometimes referred to as the system default locale) determines which code pages and associated bitmap font files are used as defaults for the operating system. These code pages and fonts enable non-Unicode applications to run as they do on an operating system localized to the language of the system locale.

For example, if you set the system locale to German on an English version of Windows NT® 4.0 or Windows 2000, non-Unicode applications function as if they were running on a German version of Windows. (Unicode® applications are not affected by this setting.)

Under Windows 98, the system locale is fixed based on the language version of the operating system, and it cannot be changed. Under Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000, the system locale defaults to the language version of the operating system, but you can change it if you have administrator privileges. Note that when you change the system locale, you must restart the computer.

To change the Windows NT 4.0 system locale

1. In Control Panel, double-click Regional Settings, then click the Regional Settings tab.
2. Select the user locale.
3. Select the Set as system default locale check box.

   The default system locale is set to the selected user locale.

To change the Windows 2000 system locale

1. In Control Panel, double-click Regional Options, then click the General tab.
2. Click Set default.
3. Select the system locale and click OK.

   Under Windows 2000, only those system locales for which the appropriate language groups have been installed are available.

Language settings in the user layer

Language settings in the user layer define the keyboard layout, sort order, and display formats for numbers, currency, times, and dates in use by the current user. These settings are used by all applications running within the user’s session.

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Note   For more information about how Office applications use the settings of the user layer, see Managing Language Settings for Each Application.

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Input locale

The input locale specifies the keyboard layout. Input locales are pairings of an input language with an input method. Input methods can include a particular keyboard layout, an Input Method Editor (IME), or a speech-to-text converter.

Specifically, an input locale describes the language being entered, and how it is being entered. You can install multiple input locales and switch between them when entering text, which allows you to create multilingual documents.

Adding or removing an input locale takes effect immediately; that is, you do not have to restart the computer.

To change the input locale under Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me)

1. In Control Panel, double-click Keyboard, then click the Language tab.
2. In the Installed keyboard languages and layouts box, select the language, or click Add to add a new language.
3. To change the specific keyboard layout for the locale, select the input language and click Properties.

To change the input locale under Windows NT 4.0

1. In Control Panel, double-click Keyboard, then click the Input Locales tab.
2. In the Input locales box, select the input locale, or click Add to add a new locale.
3. To change the specific keyboard layout for the input locale, select the locale and click Properties.

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   Note   You can also change the input locale in Windows NT 4.0 from the Input Locales tab in Regional Settings in Control Panel.

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To change the input locale under Windows 2000

1. In Control Panel, double-click Regional Options, and click the Input Locales tab.
2. In the Installed input locales box, select the input locale, or click Add to add a new language.
3. To change the specific keyboard layout for the locale, select the input language and click Properties.

   Under Windows 2000, only those input locales for which the appropriate language groups have been installed are available.

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Tip  The Office Online Web site provides a keyboard layout program, Visual Keyboard, that makes it easier for users to type languages not represented on the physical keyboard. For information about the Visual Keyboard, see Office XP/2000 Add-in: Microsoft Visual Keyboard.

User locale

The user locale determines — on a per-user basis — the default formats used to display numbers, currency, times, dates, and the order used to sort text. You specify a user locale for each user account that you create on the computer. The default user locale is derived from the system locale.

Although available user locales are often listed as a language (sometimes in combination with a country), a user locale is not a language setting. The user locale does not alter input languages, keyboard layouts, code pages, or user interface languages. The Hebrew user locale, for example, contains only data related to the standard regional settings of Israel, and not to the Hebrew language.

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Note   Changing the user locale does change the language used to display the names of days and months. For example, if you change the user locale to French (Standard) and specify the long date format, the date "September 9, 2001" is displayed as "9 septembre 2001."

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Changing the user locale has an immediate effect; that is, you do not have to restart the computer.

To change the user locale under Windows 98/Me

1. In Control Panel, double-click Regional Settings, then click the Regional Settings tab.
2. Select the user locale you want.
3. To change specific number, currency, time, or date formats, click the appropriate tab, and then select the formats you want.

To change the user locale under Windows NT 4.0

1. In Control Panel, double-click Regional Settings, then click the Regional Settings tab.
2. Select the user locale you want.
3. To change specific number, currency, time, or date formats, click the appropriate tab, and then select the formats you want.

To change the user locale under Windows 2000

1. In Control Panel, double-click Regional Options, and click the General tab.
2. Select the user locale you want.
3. To change specific number, currency, time, or date formats, click the appropriate tab, and then select the formats you want.

Language settings in the Office layer

Language settings in the Office layer include the following:

• Default language of Microsoft Office
• User interface and Help languages used by Office applications
• Languages that you can use when editing documents in Office applications

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  Note   For more information about changing language settings in the Office layer, see Changing Language Settings.

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Default language of Microsoft Office

The default language of Microsoft Office determines the default language behavior of Office applications. This language setting is independent of the user interface and Help language. The default language of Office is always automatically enabled for editing.

For example, if the default language of Office is Japanese, the default language settings within Office applications such as paper size, default text language, default proofing tools for Office applications (except Word and PowerPoint), etc., will be preset to Japanese.

The default language of Office is set when you install Office XP but can be changed in the Microsoft Office XP Language Settings application.

To change the default language of Microsoft Office

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Office Tools, and then click Microsoft Office XP Language Settings.
2. Click the Enabled Languages tab.
3. In the Default version of Microsoft Office box, select the language, and click OK.

User interface language

The user interface language is used by Office applications in menus, dialog boxes, and other user interface elements. The user interface language defaults to the language of the operating system if the user interface resources for Office applications are available for that language. However, if you install other languages from the Office Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI Pack), you can change the user interface language.

To change the user interface language

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Office Tools, and then click Microsoft Office XP Language Settings.
2. Click the User Interface tab.
3. In the Display menus and dialog boxes in box, select the language, and click OK.

Help language

The Help language is used by Office applications to display the Help interface. The Help language defaults to the language of the operating system if the Help resources for Office applications are available for that language. However if you install other languages from the MUI Pack, you can change the Help language.

To change the Help language

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Office Tools, and then click Microsoft Office XP Language Settings.
2. Click the User Interface tab.
3. In the Display Help in box, select the language and click OK.

Languages enabled for editing

To enter text in an Office document in a language that is different from the Office installation language, you must enable that language for editing. Enabling a language for editing also enables additional language-specific commands, features, and resources for that language. For Asian languages, additional fonts are also made available.

To enable languages for editing

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Office Tools, and then click Microsoft Office XP Language Settings.
2. Click the Enabled Languages tab.
3. In the Show controls and enable editing for box, select one or more languages and click OK.

Language settings in the document layer

Language settings in the document layer define the language settings and tools that are available for use within an individual Office document, including proofing tools. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Publisher also include language settings for text entered in the document. Changes to document layer settings are stored within the document.

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Note   For more information about installing proofing tools, see Installing Proofing Tools.

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Proofing tools

Office proofing tools include the spelling checker, grammar checker, hyphenation tool, and thesaurus. Not all Office applications use all of these tools, and some tools are not available in certain languages.

The English edition of Office XP includes proofing tools for English, French, and Spanish. You can find other language tools in localized versions of Office, in the MUI Pack, and in Microsoft Office Proofing Tools.

Text language setting

In Word, PowerPoint, and Publisher, you can define the language for selected text, and even use multiple languages within a single document. When you use proofing tools, the application selects the appropriate language tool based on the language setting of the text.

To set the language for specific text

1. Select a portion of text in the document.
2. On the Word or Publisher Tools menu, point to Language, and click Set Language.

   — or —

   On the PowerPoint Tools menu, click Language.

3. In the Mark selected text as box, select the language you want.

Using language settings

You have a number of options for installing and configuring Windows and Office XP language features, and you should plan your international deployment by considering how these features will affect your users. The user comes into contact with the layers of language settings in two primary areas: in the Windows and Office user interface, and in the document that the user reads or edits.

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How default language setting values are determined

The default behavior of Office language features is determined by the language settings in other layers on the computer and within the document layer.

Word uses the automatic language detection feature to set the default language setting for the text in a document, based on the list of languages that are enabled for editing (Office layer). (A user can change this language setting while editing the document.)

Word, PowerPoint, and Publisher select the appropriate language proofing tool set based on the language setting of the particular text being examined. Other Office applications select the appropriate language proofing tool set based on the current input locale (user layer) or the default language of Office.

Word, PowerPoint, and Publisher select the appropriate AutoCorrect list based on the language setting of the selected text. Other Office applications select the appropriate AutoCorrect list based on the current input locale (user layer).

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User interface

The language used in the Windows and Office user interface is the first place where the user encounters the layers of language settings on the computer.

The language version of Windows that is installed on the user’s computer determines the language used in the Windows user interface itself. This includes all Windows prompts and programs such as the Start menu, Control Panel, and system tools. This language cannot be changed without reinstalling a different language version of Windows.

In the Office user interface, there are two components that can have independent language settings.

• General user interface elements This includes menus, dialogs, and other UI elements.
• Help This includes the Office Assistant, the Answer Wizard, prompts, tips, and other related Help text.

When you install Office on the user’s computer, the language version that you install determines the base language used by both of these components. However, if you install the English version of Office with the Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI Pack), then you can change the language for the general user interface and the language of Help independently. Note, however, that depending on the application, a few general user interface elements and some portions of Help may remain in the base install language of Office even after applying the MUI Pack.

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Toolbox   Information about which Office features cannot have the language of the user interface switched is available in the Excel workbook Intlimit.xls. Intlimit.xls is installed by default when you run the Office XP Resource Kit Setup program. For more information about installing Intlimit.xls, see Supplemental Documentation in the Toolbox.

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To support the Windows and Office user interface languages, the following layers provide necessary resources.

• Operating system layer The system locale determines which code pages and fonts are available for the user interface. In Windows 2000, you can select the system locale from the language group you have installed, which provides all the keyboard and IME files, font files, and other support files and settings for the system locale.
• User layer The input locale identifies the keyboard and other input mechanisms being used on the computer. The user locale determines how information such as time and currency are displayed.
• Office layer The language components in the Office layer determine user interface and Help languages used in Office applications.

Editing documents

Regardless of the language of the Windows or Office user interface, the user can read, create, or edit documents of any language, as long as the appropriate language resources are provided by Windows and Office. This includes entering text, displaying text, and using proofing tools.

• Entering text To enter text of a particular language into a document, the files for the appropriate keyboard or other input mechanism, such as IME or text-to-speech, must be installed, along with the associated code pages. If multiple language input mechanisms are installed, the user can switch between them to create multilingual documents.
• Displaying text To display text of a particular language in a document, the appropriate font and NLS support files and the associated code pages must be installed. For complex script languages, scripting engines may be necessary.
• Proofing text If the appropriate language proofing tools are installed, the user can perform spell-checking and other related functions on the text in a document. If more than one language version of tools are installed, the user can proof a multilingual document.

To support the languages in user documents, the following layers provide necessary resources.

• Operating system layer To edit documents of a particular language, the code page, fonts, keyboard files, and other support files for that language must be installed and configured in the system layer. To create a multilingual document, make sure the system locale is set to a locale that supports the languages to be included in the document.
• User layer The particular input locale specified in the user layer defines the keyboard layout or other input mechanism being used to enter text into the document. The user can switch between multiple keyboard layouts or IMEs to enter different language text into a document. The user locale defines default display formats in the document as well as sort orders to use.
• Office layer The list of languages enabled for editing in the Office layer determines what languages can be used in a document.
• Document layer The document layer contains the specific language proofing tools the user needs for documents. In Word, PowerPoint, and Publisher, the user can define the language of selected text in a document, which in turn determines what language proofing tools will be used for the specific text.

See also

For more information about the methods for deploying Office in an international environment, see Deploying Office Internationally.

For more information about the different international products available for Office XP, including localized versions of Office XP, Office Proofing Tools, and the Office Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI Pack), see Preparing for an International Deployment.

For more information about customizing your Office deployment with different combinations of language resources for different users, see Deploying Office with the Multilingual User Interface Pack.