Preferred Language

The Address Validator transformation can return address data in the following languages:

The default language for the address in the address reference data. The default language is the main spoken language in the region to which each address belongs.

Any other language that the address reference data supports for an address. For example, the Belgium reference data contains address elements in Flemish, French, and German.

The address reference data might contain data for a single address element or for a complete address in multiple languages. For example, address validation can return all address elements for Ireland in the English language and can return street, locality, and province information in the Irish language. Additionally, the reference data might specify different default languages for addresses in different parts of a country. For example, in the Switzerland reference data, the default language varies from region to region between French, German, and Italian.

The following table summarizes the options that you can select on the Preferred Language property:

Option	Description
Database	Returns each address in the language that the address reference data specifies. The address reference data might specify different languages for addresses in different regions in a country. Database is the default option.
Alternative 1, Alternative 2, Alternative 3	Returns address elements in an alternative language from the reference data. The alternative languages depends on the country to which the address belongs.
English	Returns address elements in English when the reference data contains the data in English. Returns the other address elements in the default language of the region to which the address belongs.
Preserve Input	Returns the address information in the input language. Address validation preserves the language if the reference data contains the address information in the input language. If address validation detects more than one supported language in the input address, it returns the address in the database language. If Address Verification cannot return an element in the input language, it returns the element in the database language.

An address reference data set might contain some address elements in a non-default language but not others. If the transformation cannot find an element in the language that the property specifies, the transformation returns the element in the default language.

When you set a preferred language option, verify that the character set that the Preferred Script property specifies is compatible with the output address data that you expect.

Multilanguage Support for Belgium Addresses

The following table describes the languages that you can specify for addresses in Belgium:

Option	Description
Database	Default value. Returns addresses in the main language of the region to which the address belongs. The language might be Flemish, French, or German.
English	Returns the province, locality, and street information in English if the address reference data contains the information in English. Returns the other address elements in the main language of the region to which the address belongs.
Alternative 1	Returns the province, locality, and street information in Flemish.
Alternative 2	Returns the province, locality, and street information in French.
Alternative 3	Returns the province, locality, and street information in German.
Preserve Input	Returns the address information in the input language. Address validation preserves the language if the reference data contains the address information in the input language. If address validation detects more than one supported language in the input address, it returns the address in the database language. If Address Verification cannot return an element in the input language, it returns the element in the database language.

Multilanguage Support for Canada Addresses

The following table describes the languages that you can specify for addresses in Canada:

Option	Description
Database	Default value. Returns addresses in English for all provinces except Quebec. Returns Quebec addresses in French.
English	Returns all addresses in English.
Alternative 1	Returns all addresses in English.
Alternative 2	Returns Quebec addresses in French. In provinces other than Quebec, the transformation returns the street descriptors, directional information, and province names in French and returns other address elements in English.
Preserve Input	Returns the address information in the input language. Address validation preserves the language if the reference data contains the address information in the input language. If address validation detects more than one supported language in the input address, it returns the address in the database language. If Address Verification cannot return an element in the input language, it returns the element in the database language.

Multilanguage Support for China Addresses

The following table describes the languages that you can specify for addresses in China:

Option	Description
Database	Default value. Returns all address information in Chinese.
English	Returns the English-language versions of street descriptor and street directional values. Returns all other address information in the Chinese language. The English address elements omit transliteration elements such as "shi."
Alternative 1	Returns all address information in the database language.
Alternative 2	Returns all address information in the database language.
Alternative 3	Returns all address information in the database language.
Preserve Input	Returns the address information in the input language. Address validation preserves the language if the reference data contains the address information in the input language. If address validation detects more than one supported language in the input address, it returns the address in the database language. If Address Verification cannot return an element in the input language, it returns the element in the database language.

Consider the following rules and guidelines when you select the preferred language:

To return the address in the Chinese language, select Database, Alternative 1, Alternative 2, or Alternative 3.

To return the address in a Chinese character set, set the Preferred Script property to Database.

To return street descriptor and street directional information in the English language, select English.

To return the address in a Latin or ASCII character set, set the Preferred Script property to a LATIN or ASCII value.

If you select a LATIN or ASCII value as the preferred script and Database as the preferred language, address validation returns the address data in Pinyin.

Multilanguage Support for Finland Addresses

The following table describes the languages that you can specify for addresses in Finland:

Option	Description
Database	Default value. Returns all address information in Finnish.
Alternative 1	Returns all address information in the database language.
Alternative 2	Returns the street, locality, and province information in Swedish. Returns all other information in Finnish.
Preserve Input	Returns the address information in the input language. Address validation preserves the language if the reference data contains the address information in the input language. If address validation detects more than one supported language in the input address, it returns the address in the database language. If Address Verification cannot return an element in the input language, it returns the element in the database language.

Multilanguage Support for Hong Kong Addresses

The following table describes the languages that you can specify for addresses in Hong Kong:

Option	Description
Database	Default value. Returns all address information in Chinese.
English	Returns all address information in English.
Alternative 1	Returns all address information in the database language.
Alternative 2	Returns all address information in English.
Alternative 3	Returns all address information in the database language.
Preserve Input	Returns the address information in the input language. Address validation preserves the language if the reference data contains the address information in the input language. If address validation detects more than one supported language in the input address, it returns the address in the database language. If Address Verification cannot return an element in the input language, it returns the element in the database language.

Consider the following rules and guidelines when you select the preferred language for Hong Kong:

To return the address in a Chinese character set, set the Preferred Script property to Database.

To return the address in a Latin or ASCII character set, set the Preferred Script property to a LATIN or ASCII value.

The language of the input data can affect the operation of the Preserve Input option on a Hong Kong address. Address validation identifies the input language as English when the input data uses 7-bit ASCII characters and includes an English-language descriptor.

Multilanguage Support for Ireland Addresses

The following table describes the languages that you can specify for addresses in Ireland:

Option	Description
Database	Default value. Returns all address information in English.
English	Returns all address information in English.
Alternative 1	Returns all address information in English.
Alternative 2	Returns the street, locality, and county information in Irish. Returns all other address information in English.
Preserve Input	Returns the address information in the input language. Address validation preserves the language if the reference data contains the address information in the input language. If address validation detects more than one supported language in the input address, it returns the address in the database language. If Address Verification cannot return an element in the input language, it returns the element in the database language.

Multilanguage Support for Israel Addresses

The following table describes the languages that you can specify for addresses in Israel:

Option	Description
Database	Default value. Returns all address information in Hebrew.
English	Returns all address information in English.
Alternative 1	Returns all address information in Hebrew.
Alternative 2	Returns all address information in English.
Preserve Input	Returns the address information in the input language. Address validation preserves the language if the reference data contains the address information in the input language. If address validation detects more than one supported language in the input address, it returns the address in the database language. If Address Verification cannot return an element in the input language, it returns the element in the database language.

Consider the following rules and guidelines when you select the preferred language:

To return the addresses in a Hebrew character set, set the Preferred Script property to Database.

To return the addresses in a Latin or ASCII character set, set the Preferred Script property to a LATIN or ASCII value.

If you select a Latin character set as the preferred script and you select Hebrew as the preferred language, address validation transliterates the Hebrew address into Latin characters. For optimal results in a Latin character set, select English as the preferred language.

Multilanguage Support for Macau Addresses

The following table describes the languages that you can specify for addresses in Macau:

Option	Description
Database	Default value. Returns all address information in Chinese.
Alternative 1	Returns all address information in the database language.
Alternative 2	Returns all address information in Portuguese.
Preserve Input	Returns the address information in the input language. Address validation preserves the language if the reference data contains the address information in the input language. If address validation detects more than one supported language in the input address, it returns the address in the database language. If Address Verification cannot return an element in the input language, it returns the element in the database language.

To return the address in a Chinese character set, set the Preferred Script property to Database.

To return the address in a Latin or ASCII character set, set the Preferred Script property to a LATIN or ASCII value.

The language of the input data can affect the operation of the Preserve Input option on a Macau address. Address validation identifies the input language as Portuguese when the input data uses 7-bit ASCII characters and includes a Portuguese-language descriptor.

Multilanguage Support for Switzerland

The following table describes the languages that you can specify for addresses in Switzerland:

Option	Description
Database	Default value. Returns addresses in the main language of the region to which the address belongs. For example, address validation returns a Zurich address in German and a Geneva address in French.
English	Returns the locality and province information in English if the reference address database contains the information in English. Returns the other address elements in the main language of the region to which the address belongs. Address validation returns the locality information in English for some localities, for example Geneva and Zurich.
Alternative 1	Returns the province and locality information in German.
Alternative 2	Returns the province and locality information in French.
Alternative 3	Returns the province and locality information in Italian.
Preserve Input	Returns the address information in the input language. Address validation preserves the language if the reference data contains the address information in the input language. If address validation detects more than one supported language in the input address, it returns the address in the database language. If Address Verification cannot return an element in the input language, it returns the element in the database language.

Address validation also returns street information for addresses in Biel/Bienne in the alternative language that you configure.

Multilanguage Support for Taiwan

The following table describes the languages that you can specify for addresses in Taiwan:

Option	Description
Database	Default value. Returns all address information in Chinese.
English	Returns all address information in English.
Preserve Input	Returns the address information in the input language. Address validation preserves the language if the reference data contains the address information in the input language. If address validation detects more than one supported language in the input address, it returns the address in the database language. If Address Verification cannot return an element in the input language, it returns the element in the database language.

Consider the following rules and guidelines when you select the preferred language:

To return the address in a Chinese character set, set the Preferred Script parameter to Database.

To return the address in a Latin or ASCII character set, set the Preferred Script parameter to a LATIN or ASCII value.

The language of the input data can affect the operation of the Preserve Input option on a Taiwan address. Address validation identifies the input language as English when the input data uses 7-bit ASCII characters and includes an English-language descriptor.

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