String Hierarchy and Translation String Linking

This feature allows you to create links between custom strings and stand-alone strings and to create a hierarchy between them. When a translation string or its translation are edited, all strings linked to it are updated automatically, so you do not need to search for them and update them manually. In the Manage Translations UI, the linked translation strings are marked with a link icon.

Important:

You have to have the SuiteCloud Development Framework feature enabled in your account for this feature to work. To enable SuiteCloud Development Framework, go to Setup > Company > Setup Tasks > Enable Features, Suitecloud subtab, SuiteCloud Development Framework section, and select the respective option.

In the Manage Translations UI, the linking of translation strings can only be performed from the Strings tab.

This hierarchy has been introduced to support consistency of translations across the NetSuite application and SuiteApps.

As of NetSuite 20.2, in connection to the introduction of the string hierarchy, you can now define two groups of translation strings with varying properties:

Parent Strings
Child Strings

See the image of the Strings tab below for a view of these types of translation strings:

Strings subtab on the Manage Translations page.

In this view, you can see multiple types of translation strings:

Numbers 1 and 2 represent parent strings. To display the linked child strings, click the arrow symbol.
Number 3 represents a child string. The link icon signifies that the child string is linked to the parent string above.
Number 4 represents a custom string. It has been created in either SDF or the UI, since it is included in a collection. However, it is not a parent string, because no strings are linked to it.
Numbers 5–7 represent stand-alone strings. See that they are not included in any collection; standalone strings cannot be included in a collection.

In SDF, string hierarchy and linking are referred to as ”referencing”.

For more information about referencing in SDF, see Translatable Fields on SDF Custom Objects.

For more information about custom and stand-alone strings, see Translation String Types.

Parent Strings

A parent string passes its description and translations to its child string. You can create a parent string in either the UI or in SDF as part of a Translation Collection by creating a custom string and linking a stand-alone string to it. A parent string is included in a collection and its contents, such as description and translations, can be edited. To display child strings linked to a parent string, click the arrow symbol next to the parent string name. Multiple child strings can be linked to a single parent string.

Child Strings

You can create a child string in the UI by linking a stand-alone string to a custom string. The child string inherits all parent string data including translations and references to the Translation Collection. You can unlink a child string from its parent string and make it a stand-alone string. When you do so, the child string retains the translations from the parent string, but the child string is not updated when the former parent string is changed. In UI, a link icon next to the child string signifies that the child string is linked to the parent string above.

Creating a Hierarchy

To link a stand-alone string to a custom string:

Go to Customization > Translations > Manage Translations.
On the Strings tab, next to the stand-alone string that you want to link to a custom string, click the ellipsis (...) and select Link To.
Next to the custom string that you want to link the stand-alone string to, click Select.

Parent Strings

Child Strings

Creating a Hierarchy

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