Retrieving Codes from Code Table Files

Since a code table file can contain any number of locales for a named code a mechanism needs to be in place to return the correctly localized code for a running instance of Cúram. Codes are retrieved from a code table file based on the locale property which includes a language and, optionally, a country. The code table file look up returns a matching localized code for a named value. For example, if the runtime locale is set to en_US where "en" is the language and "US" is the country, a code look up for the code named ACODE in the example below, will return the text "The code". If, however, the runtime locale was set to "fr", the text "Le code" would be returned.

<codetables package="curam.codetable">
  <codetable java_identifier="AN_ID" name="ANAME">
    <code default="true" java_identifier="ACODE"
          status="ENABLED" value="ACODE">
      <locale language="en" country="US" sort_order="0">
        <description>The code</description>
        <annotation></annotation>
      </locale>
      <locale language="en">
        <description>The en code</description>
        <annotation></annotation>
      </locale>
      <locale language="fr">
        <description>Le code</description>
        <annotation></annotation>
      </locale>
    </code>
  </codetable
</codetables>

Since code table files are not guaranteed to contain an entry for every country, a fall back mechanism is in place. Once a code of a given name has been found and there is no direct match with the specified locale, the rules for fall back are as follows:

• If the runtime locale is set to include a language and country, the country is removed and the search looks for a matching language only. Looking up the code named ACODE in the example above, with runtime locale fr_CN would return the text "Le code".
• If nothing is found for the runtime locale for either language and country or language only, then a search using the fall back locale of en will be used. Looking up the code named ACODE in the example above, with runtime locale es would return the text "The en code".

For example, if the runtime locale is set to fr_CA, then the following will be the search path:

• Search on fr_CA,
• Search on fr
• Search on en

If nothing is found for either the runtime locale or the fallback locale of en, then an empty string is returned.