Re: Multilangual : how to?

From: Vikram Lele (viklele_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 04/13/04 

Date: 12 Apr 2004 23:44:33 -0700

THe other option is to keep the messages in differnet resource only
DLLs. I suggested keeping them in executable, because its easier ...
and does not need creating a DLL (using VC).

If one opts for resource only DLL, then the appropriate language DLL
should be loaded at the application startup using LoadLibrary API
call, and then resource strings can be read from it using LoadString
API call.

Even in this approach you need to have some way of knowing what
resource ID corresponds to which message string .... and IMO defining
constants is a reasonable way.

Incidently having resource strings in the executable does increase the
executable size, but does not increase the memory foot print. Resource
strings are loaded by OS only on demand (i.e. when you can LoadString
or LoadResString).

Regards,
Vikram
______________________________________
Components For Your Software Solutions
http://www.viklele.com

"Saga" <antiSpam@somewhere.com> wrote in message news:<uDq1F6LIEHA.3240@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl>...
> Ouch!
>
> Then if I have 800 different messages, I have to define
> a constant for each one?
>
> What sort of overhead do resource files impose?
>
> For example, I have an Italian and English application.
> When I load each form, I have to check which language
> it should load, load it and then get the messages into
> the corresponding menu items, label, texts or whatever.
> Perhaps I could load them when the program starts and
> let the user stare at a splash screen while they all load, but
> I am not sure this is the best way to do it.
>
> I could also use a database and have a language table,
> but I still need to determine, load and then assign the
> messages. Would it be better/worse if I used a db instead?
>
> How about maintenance? If I misspell a word, or need to
> add a new message, do I need to recompile and distribute
> the application? Using a database does avoid having to
> recompile, but the matter of distribution is still an issue.
>
> Another idea would be to wrap a collection of messages
> around a class, then instantiate the right class for the selected
> language. I have to guess that that would be faster than
> going to a database, but it still leaves the problem of distribution,
> not to mention that the class would have to be recompiled,
> but if implemented as a DLL, at least it wouldn't involve
> recompiling the entire app.
>
> It seems that the issue, no matter what method is used,
> (even the textfile method) is the DLA factor (determine,
> load & assign). I guess it is just seeing which is better
> or more convenient.
>
> I know that resource files are the most applicable way
> of going multilingual, but I keep wondering if they are the best.
>
> Saga
> "Vikram Lele" <viklele@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:667002dd.0404120918.3d912b16@posting.google.com...
> > Instead of keeping the messages in the textfile, you can keep them in
> > the resource strings. You can add resource strings to your application
> > using "Resource Editor" add-in available under Tools menu in VB.
> >
> > You can separate equivalent messages of different languages by fixed
> > offsets. For example, if MSG1 in english is assigned resource ID 1000,
> > the corresponding french message could be at resource ID 2000, and
> > german message at resource ID 3000.
> >
> > In your application you should define constant for each messageID. For
> > example
> >
> > Public Const RES_MSG1 = 0
> > Public Const RES_MSG2 = 1
> >
> > etc...
> >
> > In your application, you can have a globally accessible variable which
> > sets the base offset (lets call this RES_BASE), and when you need to
> > read a message, you can use LoadResString call to load particular
> > message.
> >
> > for example, when your application is starting up for english, you
> > will set RES_BASE = 1000, and to load string corresponding to MSG1,
> > you will use the call LoadResString(RES_BASE + RES_MSG1).
> >
> > When your application starts up for french, you will set
> > RES_BASE=2000, but the rest of your application will not need to
> > change atall.
> >
> > One of our products, VLMenuPlus, a drop-in VB menu enhancer provides
> > multi-lingual menu support. We use a very similar scheme in there.
> >
> > HTH,
> >
> > Regards,
> > Vikram
> > ______________________________________
> > Components For Your Software Solutions
> > http://www.viklele.com
> >
> > "JohnK" <johnk@noreply.net> wrote in message
> news:<407aa73a$0$125$3a628fcd@reader3.nntp.hccnet.nl>...
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > Is there a way to make an application multilangual? Until now I used a
> > > textfile with messages like: "M123=<text>" and than a textfile for every
> > > language. I presume there is another way to accomplish this, i.e. by
> using a
> > > dll. I don't want the user to see textfiles and I want to manage the
> texts
> > > in an easy way.
> > > Now the app is reading the textfile completely when starting, but I only
> > > want the messages (texts) when neede (=asked for). So I just want to
> create
> > > somethinmg like a language pack, but the app must remain the same all
> the
> > > time. (ofcourse after getting rid of the txt files)
> > > I hope somebody out ther has a solution and please an example.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > > John
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ---
> > > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> > > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> > > Version: 6.0.645 / Virus Database: 413 - Release Date: 28-3-2004

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