# Globalize and model error messages **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails I18n\ **Created:** [October 3, 2006, 10:12am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/globalize-and-model-error-messages/70831 "2006-10-03T10:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Nicolas_NoSSSS)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 10:12am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/globalize-and-model-error-messages/70831/1 "2006-10-03T10:12:25Z")
Hi ! I have a probably stupid question about i18n. I started to work with ruby-gettext, as it allows me to translate field names in model validation messages, and thus use error\_messages\_for helpers. It first worked well, but I now have some problems with it (when trying to internationalize a hierarchy of models, with some attributes wich doesn’t exists in the database). Gettext is nice, but seems to me more like a ‘unix’ solution than a rails solution, so I’m open to change… My question is here : a lot of people seems to use globalize or other i18n plugins that, if I believe what I read, don’t support translating models field names, table names, and error messages. So, how do you use rails validation in yout multilingual websites. Is there another not\_too\_complicated way to use rails validation, which is a great system ? Thanx in advance, Nicolas ---
**Author:** ![Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Nicolas_NoSSSS)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/globalize-and-model-error-messages/70831/2 "2006-10-03T19:06:22Z")
On Tue, 3 Oct 2006 10:12:25 +0200 “Nicolas Noe$(D+1” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > i18n plugins that, if I believe what I read, don’t support translating > models field names, table names, and error messages. So, how do you use > rails validation in yout multilingual websites. Is there another > not\_too\_complicated way to use rails validation, which is a great system > ? I don’t think to detain you leave from gettext. But I have to say, ruby-gettext has a solution to translate the attributes which doesn’t exists in the database. [http://www.yotabanana.com/hiki/ruby-gettext-howto-rails.html#Translate+the+attributes+which+doesn't+exist+in+your+Database](http://www.yotabanana.com/hiki/ruby-gettext-howto-rails.html#Translate+the+attributes+which+doesn%27t+exist+in+your+Database) ---
**Author:** ![Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Nicolas_NoSSSS)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/globalize-and-model-error-messages/70831/3 "2006-10-04T14:23:11Z")
Masao M. wrote: > On Tue, 3 Oct 2006 10:12:25 +0200 > “Nicolas Noe$(D+1” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > i18n plugins that, if I believe what I read, don’t support translating > > models field names, table names, and error messages. So, how do you use > > rails validation in yout multilingual websites. Is there another > > not\_too\_complicated way to use rails validation, which is a great system > > ? > > I don’t think to detain you leave from gettext. > But I have to say, ruby-gettext has a solution to translate the > attributes > which doesn’t exists in the database. > > [http://www.yotabanana.com/hiki/ruby-gettext-howto-rails.html#Translate+the+attributes+which+doesn't+exist+in+your+Database](http://www.yotabanana.com/hiki/ruby-gettext-howto-rails.html#Translate+the+attributes+which+doesn%27t+exist+in+your+Database) Thanks ! Yeah, I already use gettext for that, and that works pretty well. However, I had problems to use it with a hierarchy of Models (it seems to extract direct childs of ActiveRecord::Base, but not descendents of descendents of ActiveRecord::Base). As I’m new to rails and have an applic to develop and maintain, I was afraid that maybe gettext could cause other problems later and impeach me of using all rails features…For the moment it’s ok, I found another way to solve my problem. ---
**Author:** ![Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Nicolas_NoSSSS)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/globalize-and-model-error-messages/70831/4 "2006-10-16T18:56:31Z")
Nicolas Noé wrote: […] > As I’m new to rails and have an applic to develop and maintain, I was > afraid that maybe gettext could cause other problems later and impeach > me of using all rails features…For the moment it’s ok, I found another > way to solve my problem. How have You solved that problem? Have You found method to translate fields and class names in Globalize? ---
**Author:** ![Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Nicolas_NoSSSS)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 9:26am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/globalize-and-model-error-messages/70831/5 "2006-10-19T09:26:20Z")
bal wrote: > Nicolas Noé wrote: > > […] > > > As I’m new to rails and have an applic to develop and maintain, I was > > afraid that maybe gettext could cause other problems later and impeach > > me of using all rails features…For the moment it’s ok, I found another > > way to solve my problem. > > How have You solved that problem? Have You found method to translate > fields and class names in Globalize? No, I continued to used gettext… ---
**Author:** ![Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Nicolas\_NoSSSS](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Nicolas_NoSSSS)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 1:28pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/globalize-and-model-error-messages/70831/6 "2006-10-19T13:28:42Z")
I’m getting into this a bit late, but Globalize was designed to handle this. Globalize automatically tries to translate ActiveRecord validation messages, so if you trigger a validation error, that message should show up in the globalize\_translations table and be available for translation. Because Globalize’s string substitution isn’t quite as sophisticated as we want it to be, it can’t translate field names separately from the validation message. This means you have to translate all combination of field name/validation type. In many apps this isn’t that big a problem, but if it is in your case, let us know. This would be a good thing to write up a ticket for. – Josh