Best way for on-the-fly localization

  • Thread starter Thread starter Computer Guru
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Computer Guru

I have a VB.NET 2005 application with several forms and a couple
hundred "strings."

I've been looking into all the localization improvements in VB.NET,
and I can't seem to find anything that does what I'm looking for.

My application has all the strings hard-coded, I wasn't planning on
localizing it when I first built it. But that's OK, I am perfectly
willing to re-create a resource file for en_US with the required data.

I'm looking for something like this:

Folder\myapp.exe
Folder\localizations\en_US.lib
Folder\localizations\ar_JO.lib
etc.

I want the localization resource files to be independant from the
application itself - such that I don't have to pre-define the language
in the exe so that translators don't need a new build to push a new
language out.

Are there any recommended links (google turns up mostly fluff) as to
the best way to ship localization packages separate from the
application, each localization by itself, and have my application
accept them? (assuming i'd enumerate the list of files in localizations
\* in a drop-down list and have the user select the language in a
dialog)

BTW, is there an XML-based localization system available as well?
 
You can use the .NET resource files for localization:

http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/Localization.asp

Otherwise a simple XML system would work - it would basically be an XML
dictionary (name/value pairs). Name = String. Value = Localized text?

Would that work?
Click to expand...

That's along terms with what I was thinking - I'm not planning on
Localization so much as Globalization (or the other way around?) of
just text and variables.

Thanks :)
 
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