To edit a language file in a text editor, you first have to save one of the available languages as a language file by using the Save as button of the Language files dialog box (see last section). Then, load this file in a text editor which can load Unicode text files (e.g. Microsoft Word - you can also use MetaTexis, of course.)
The language file has a very simple format: There are only three entities: Header, names of modules, and text elements.
The header consists of the first lines of the file until the first module starts.
The name of a module has this form: "<<NameOfModule>>". You must not change lines with a module name, for they are crucial for recognizing the text elements correctly. The module starts after the module name, and it ends at the next module name or at the end of the file.
The text elements contain the text which is used in MetaTexis. A text element consists of a name and a content which are both in one line, separated through an "=", for example:
"NameOfElement=Text of element"
You must not change the name of the element, including the separator ("="). The only other restriction is that you must not use line breaks in a text element. If you want to add a paragraph in a text element, you have to use a special tag: "{p}". There are no further restrictions.
Lines with an element name not known in MetaTexis and lines without the ("=") separator are ignored.
To edit the language file, you simply have to change the text behind the "=".
Remember to save the language file as a Unicode language file, if possible.
Also, when you edit a translation file in any text editor, you are advised to do the final editing in the built-in language file editor of MetaTexis. The built-in editor includes some important functions to check the formal quality of the text elements (see Formal Quality Checking).