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Localization and Customization Features Available in TOWER and PLS-POLE

Note: Some of the features described here may not be available prior to versions 5.10 of TOWER and 5.29 of PLS-POLE.

The structure programs allow you to customize the format and language of your output as well as some of the user interface of the software itself. The following functions are available:

• Output Reports
  • Individual lines of output may be translated using the View/Edit Strings command
  • The format of tables including: precision of numbers, whether a column is displayed, order that columns are displayed and column title may be changed using the View/Edit Customizations command.
  • The maximum width of a table in characters may be specified using the View/Edit Customizations command. Tables that exceed this width will be split into multiple sub-tables each of which repeats the first column.
  • Table headings may be displayed in a bold font and/or alternate rows in a table may be displayed in a bold font using the View/Edit Customizations command.
• User Interface
  • Menu item titles may be renamed or translated using the View/Edit Menu Strings command or by right clicking on the menu item (right click only supported on Windows 2000 and XP).
  • The tool tip displayed when editing data inside a table may be edited using the View/Edit Customizations command.
  • The online help can be modified to display a translated manual through a process described below.

All of these customizations are stored in the schema file, named tower.sma or pls-pole.sma respectively, which is located in the application directory. You should make a backup copy of your schema file whenever you made significant changes to it. The schema file is application specific and is used for all your projects.

Strings and tables will not be available for customization until after you've run at least one analysis.

Substituting Your Own Manual For Online Help

When a user clicks on the "?" icon in the upper right hand corner of the dialog box or otherwise makes a help request, the program displays the appropriate page of it's electronic manual. It does this by mapping from the section number associated with the help topic to a page number in the accompanying PDF file. The help index file, named tower.phi or pls-pole.phi respectively, enables this mapping. You can write your own manual and integrate it into the software by supplying your own PDF and PHI files. The PDF file can be generated from any word processor using the Adobe Acrobat Writer software. The help index file is a simple ASCII file that contains the table of contents from the PDF file. The PHI file format is as follows:

• A header line (simply copy this line from an existing .phi file).
• A page offset that accounts for the difference between page numbering in the source document and in the PDF file. For example, if page 1 in the source document is page 3 in the PDF file this line would contain the number 2.
• The page number of the table of contents inside the PDF file (This is the page you are taken to when you execute the Help/View Manual command.
• Followed by as many lines as sections, each of which must have the section number followed by the section title followed by spaces or periods and ending with the page number.

It is critical in any translation that the section numbers be maintained as they are built into the program and cannot be changed. For further information on using your own manual please contact Power Line Systems.