Textfile based Localization

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Thomas Due - 16 Mar 2006 15:08 GMT

Hi,

Our current software uses text files for storing various languages. In
the near future we will be switching development platform to .NET 2.0.
We have been looking at the VS way of localization and decided that is
does not really become us to have compiled resources for each language.

We would really really like to continue using some form on textfile for
localization. The main reason for this, is that we want to be able to
add new languages, or change translations without having to recompile.

Are there any good tools on the marked (preferable open source) that
can handle this? Or will we have to create our own?

If we would have to create our own, what will we have to be cautious
about?

Ideas, hints, links?

Thank you in advance.

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Thomas Due
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If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near."
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Andy - 16 Mar 2006 17:52 GMT

I think you'd only have to recompile your satillite assemblies, not
your main assembly to change language translations.

I've built my own localization API in classic ASP once. Its not
difficult, but it seems the .net way would be easier.

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Thomas Due - 17 Mar 2006 07:41 GMT

> I think you'd only have to recompile your satillite assemblies, not
> your main assembly to change language translations.

Yes, that is my understanding as well, but I dont want to _have_ to
rebuild the satellite assemblies. I want my software supporters to be
able to localize on-the-fly if needs be.

> I've built my own localization API in classic ASP once. Its not
> difficult, but it seems the .net way would be easier.

The .net way IS easy, very easy even, but it requires recompiling the
satellites, and than I dont want to do.

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Thomas Due
Posted with XanaNews version 1.18.1.0

"Only sick music makes money today."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche

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Andy - 17 Mar 2006 16:08 GMT

Well,

Its fairly easy to roll your own. It ends up being very close to the
.Net way, except that when i rolled my own, the translations were
stored in a db, and we basicaly cached everything as we loaded it (for
peformance reasons, this was a web app). We then had an admin site
where our translator could enter the localized version of the english
strings. We had yet another tool to syncronize the translations in one
database to another database.

The syncing can be a pain, and depending on how you deploy, getting
update translates to your users may be a hassle also. Localizing 'on
the fly' sounds like it'd be inherently dangerous, especially if you
don't have a good way to get translations back to the source.

HTH

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Textfile based Localization

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