Hi,

Can somebody tell me why we always have to recompile our program when
we change something in our resource file ? We also have to recompile the
resource
file ?

Does somebody have a better way to deal with multilanguage programs ?
Is there a better way then using resource files ?

Many thanks,
Karel

Hi,

My experience is that the easiest way to make multilanguage programs is
using language files.
The language files are simple text files, the sentences are line by line.
Each Language has a file, the identifyer is the extension

Example :

File 1 for English
Name:  XXXXXX.ENG
Content :

Hello
How are you?
...
...
...

File 2 for Hungarian
Name:  XXXXXX.HUN
Content :

Szia
Hogy vagy?
...
...
...

On program start you read the language file  you want line by line into an
array
(eg  LAN() as string)
If you read the ENG file LAN(1)="Hello", LAN(2)="How are you?"

Then Use the array elements for texts, captions etc.

Advantages :

-Never have to recompile the program
-You can change the language run time if you want, reloading a new lan file
-Anybody is able to add new different language to your program, translating
an existing
 LAN file line by line into a new file with different extension

Here is my Language reader routine:

Public LAN() As String
Public LANmax As Integer

Sub ReadLan(Filename As String)
    Dim FNum, sor
    On Error GoTo readlan_err
    LANmax = 0
    FNum = FreeFile
    Open Filename For Input Lock Read As FNum
    While Not EOF(FNum)
        LANmax = LANmax + 1
        ReDim Preserve LAN(LANmax)
        Line Input #FNum, sor
        LAN(LANmax) = Trim$(sor)
    Wend
    Close FNum
    Exit Sub
readlan_err:
    language$ = ENG
    Resume readlan_ki
readlan_ki:
    ReadLan ("sfwrocl.ENG")    'Default Language file

End Sub

the better way for multilanguage programs seems to be not using VB.
Rember the poor support of different locales in VB, Format writes a
decimal point or a comma, but Val only accepts a point independent
from the used locale. But CDbl or CSngl accept a decimal point or a
comma depending on the locale.

VC has functions like setlocale or getlocale. If this functions are
used, the same program may use points or commas depending on locale
without recompilation.

I am experimenting on how to use the formating functions for input and
output available within VC with a VB program. It is not easy, but I
had some partial success. The problem is the support of different
types and different numbers of parameters to that functions.

But that was all about the different number and date and time formats.
The other problems is different strings for your menus, labels etc. in
all supported languages.

If you have all strings needed by your program in your resources files
and for all suported languages, you may write a self adapting program.
At start it should checked the system setting for language and refer
to the proper section of the resource file. You have to organize your
resource with a certain offset for all languages. For instance 1 to
100 are US english strings, 101 to 200 are UK english strings, 201 to
300 french, 301 to 400 fl?misch, 401 to 500 wallonisch, 501 to 600
deutsch.
I have an example of such a program from a good german book about VB.

Good luck and by.

Uwe
Uwe Hercksen

For EMail response, please use:
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sub-domain: zew
domain: uni-erlangen
country: de
--------------------------------------------------
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Cauerstr. 5
D91058 Erlangen

I suppose you have already solved the questions about date and number
formatting, etc.

After beeing using VB resource files I have created my own resource file
system. The way VB manages resources has various problems:

VB compiles resources within the EXE file, so if you want a program in 45
languages you must create 45 EXE files (which could fit on a CD-ROM, but
don't forget the compiling time).

VB is limited to about 32000 text resources in a project.

By the other hand, VB lets you use non-text resources, like bitmaps, etc.

In my experience, the most important are text resources. What I recommend
you is to create a MS-Access database with all the text resources, with
records like:
ResourceNumber,LanguageID,ResourceText
And make a little program in VB that edits and compiles theese resources in
a binary file "open for binary". One file per language. This binary file
should have a header table of resources, like:
    File position    Contents
    1-4                   Offset of beginning of resource No 1
    5-6                   Length of resource No 1
    7-10                 Offset of beginning of resource No 2
    11-14               Length of resource No 2

Consider:
- This resource system will allow more than 32000 resources for an EXE
(resource number is a long)
- If you do it right and put ALL your literals (menu captions included) in
the resource file, you will only need to distribute an EXE and one resource
file for language.
- With a well-designed resource reading routine, the performance is very
similar to the VB resource system.
- Other things you may discover...

Hope this help you. I know this is only an outline, but I'm not permitted to
tell more details.

Jose Luis.

Do you not have to recompile your program when you correct a spelling error
on a label or fix a bug??? You just treat it like any other fix.

Incidently, a couple of people who responded seemed to imply you need a
different resource file file for each language and/or make a separate EXE
for each. That's not true. You just add an extra column in the file for each
language.

I find the whole process amazingly simple, practical and efficient for large
applications.

Mark Lewis
"There are always alternatives"
Corporate Consultants
www.ccxpress.com
<e-mail replies are trashed without being seen>

I cracked the same problem but did it without a database. I have a simple
textfile for each language and it contains basically a list of resource-ids
and the accompanying text. At the start of my program I read the entire file
to memory and when I need a text I binary-search on my internal array (the
resource-ids are sorted). It gives me much better performance than accessing
a database, and less overhead. All my forms have a public FormInit-procedure
implemented, and by doing this I have ability to change the language
runtime.

Regards,
Wilco

Jose Luis Pe?a heeft geschreven in bericht ...

I use a database in access

so the customer is able to make some changes

for  VB4 16 bits   I use Access 2.0