Patent Document ID: 5428772
Application ID: 07770088

Base Claim:
1. A data processing system providing interaction in multiple natural languages between a user and application programs, wherein an application program requests one of a plurality of messages specific to the application program to be output to the user, comprising: a processor for executing the application programs; a memory connected to the processor and for storing the application programs and data, the data in the memory including: a plurality of message files, each message file being stored in a location in the memory and including the plurality of messages for one of the application programs in one natural language, different message files being provided for different application programs and different natural languages; a link table for maintaining a plurality of links between the application program and the message files, wherein a link includes values indicative of an application program, a natural language, and the location in the memory of a message file associated with the application program and the natural language; an indication of a current interaction language; and an indication of a default language; and the processor further including: means, operative in response to a request from one of the application programs for a message specific to the application program to be output to the user, for selecting a natural language from the current interaction language and the default language; and means, responsive to the selection of the natural language, for retrieving the requested message specific to the application program from the message file, including means for searching the link table to find the link indicative of the location in the memory of the message file referenced by the application program and the selected natural language, means for accessing the message file indicated by the link, and means for obtaining the requested message specific to the application program from the message file.

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Claim 12:
12. The system of claim 1 wherein the value indicative of an application program in the link table is a location of the application program in the memory.