Internationalisation

[Rob Cozens]

>My question is: what is the procedure for 'loading' all the text 
>ONTO the interface? How does one change all the text on menus, 
>buttons, label fields, etc?

G'day Igor,

Here's how Serendipity Library does it [see case loadMe]:

[function sdbMessage(messageLineNumber) returns the text in line 
messageLineNumber of the message text file]

constant sdbUpdateFieldToolTip=187  -- [other constants omitted]

on menuPick thePick
   play audioClip "click.au"
   put sdbMessage(sdbQuitMenuItem) into quitMe
   put sdbMessage(sdbLoadFileMenuItem) into loadMe
   put sdbMessage(sdbTranslateMenuItem) into translateMe
   put sdbMessage(sdbAdjustFeedbackMenuItem) into adjustMe
   switch thePick
   case quitMe
     shutMeDown
     break
   case translateMe
     modeless stack "Message Translator"
     break
   case adjustMe
     modal stack "Audio Feedback Level"
     break
   case loadMe
     put the defaultFolder into savedDefault
     get the effective fileName of this stack
     put "/" after it
     set the itemDelimiter to "/"
     put "SDB_Message_Files" into the last item of it
     answer file sdbMessage(sdbSelectMessageFile) with it
     play audioClip "click.au"
     if it is empty then
       set the defaultFolder to savedDefault
       exit menuPick
     end if
     put "file:" before it
     put URL it into messageText
     if the result is not empty then
       set the defaultFolder to savedDefault
       answer sdbMessage(sdbImportReadError) with sdbMessage(sdbOKTranslated)
       play audioClip "click.au"
       exit menuPick
     end if
     set the defaultFolder to savedDefault
     if the platform is not "MacOS" then put macToISO(messageText) 
into messageText -- My message file is stored in ASCII format on all 
platforms
     get the number of lines of messageText
     if it <> sdbMessageLineCount then
       answer 
sdbMessage(sdbLineCountWarning1)&&sdbMessageLineCount&"."&return&sdbMessage(sdbLineCountWarning2)&&it&"." 
with sdbMessage(sdbOKTranslated)
       play audioClip "click.au"
       exit menuPick
     end if
     answer line 1 to 2 of messageText with 
sdbMessage(sdbCancelTranslated) or sdbMessage(sdbLoadTranslated)
     if it is sdbMessage(sdbCancelTranslated) then exit menuPick
     loadSDBMessageText messageText
     put messageText into field "Messages" of card 1
     set the name of button id 1043 to sdbMessage(sdbFileMenu)
     set the text of button id 1043 to 
sdbMessage(sdbAdjustFeedbackMenuItem)&return&"-"&return&sdbMessage(sdbLoadFileMenuItem)&return&sdbMessage(sdbTranslateMenuItem)&return&"-"&return&sdbMessage(sdbQuitMenuItem)
     set the name of button id 1044 to sdbMessage(sdbHelpMenu)
     set the text of button id 1044 to 
sdbMessage(sdbHelpMenuItem)&return&"-"&return&sdbMessage(sdbAboutSerendipityMenuItem)
     set the toolTip of button "Database" of card "Index" to 
sdbMessage(sdbDatabaseToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Dates" of card "Index" to 
sdbMessage(sdbDateToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Edits" of card "Index" to 
sdbMessage(sdbEditToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Formats" of card "Index" to 
sdbMessage(sdbFormatToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Lists" of card "Index" to 
sdbMessage(sdbListToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Tables" of card "Index" to 
sdbMessage(sdbTableToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Thumbs Down" of card 1 of stack 
"Number Edit Mask" to sdbMessage(sdbCancelTranslated)
     set the toolTip of button "Thumbs Up" of card 1 of stack "Number 
Edit Mask" to sdbMessage(sdbSetFormatToolTip)
     set the label of stack "Number Edit Mask" to 
sdbMessage(sdbNumberFormatTranslated)
     set the toolTip of button "Thumbs Down" of card 1 of stack 
"Message Translator" to sdbMessage(sdbQuitToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Thumbs Up" of card 1 of stack "Message 
Translator" to sdbMessage(sdbFileTranslationPrompt)
     get field "Line Count" of card 1 of stack "Message Translator"
     if it is not empty then
       put sdbMessage(sdbOfTranslated) into word 2 to -2 of it
       put it into field "Line Count" of card 1 of stack "Message Translator"
     end if
     set the label of stack "Message Translator" to 
sdbMessage(sdbMessageTranslatorLabel)
     set the toolTip of field "Import File" of card 1 of stack 
"sdbImport" to sdbMessage(sdbImportFileToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Thumbs Down" of card 1 of stack 
"sdbImport" to sdbMessage(sdbCancelTranslated)
     set the toolTip of button "Thumbs Up" of card 1 of stack 
"sdbImport" to sdbMessage(sdbImportToolTip)
     set the toolTip of image "Reject Duplicates.gif" of card 1 of 
stack "sdbImport" to sdbMessage(sdbOverwriteDuplicatesToolTip)
     set the toolTip of image "Overwrite Duplicates.gif" of card 1 of 
stack "sdbImport" to sdbMessage(sdbRejectDuplicatesToolTip)
     set the label of stack "sdbImport" to sdbMessage(sdbDataImportLabel)
     set the toolTip of button "Record Type Title" of card 1 of stack 
"sdbExport" to sdbMessage(sdbRecordTypeToolTip)
     set the toolTip of field "Database Field Delimiter" of card 1 of 
stack "sdbExport" to 
theCharacterSet&&sdbMessage(sdbDatabaseFieldTranslated)&&delimiterTranslated
     set the toolTip of button "Beginning Key Title" of card 1 of 
stack "sdbExport" to sdbMessage(sdbBeginningKeyToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Ending Key Title" of card 1 of stack 
"sdbExport" to sdbMessage(sdbEndingKeyToolTip)
     set the toolTip of field "Export File" of card 1 of stack 
"sdbExport" to sdbMessage(sdbExportFileToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Thumbs Down" of card 1 of stack 
"sdbExport" to sdbMessage(sdbCancelTranslated)
     set the toolTip of button "Thumbs Up" of card 1 of stack 
"sdbExport" to sdbMessage(sdbExportToolTip)
     set the label of stack "sdbExport" to sdbMessage(sdbDataExportLabel)
     set the toolTip of button "Thumbs Down" of card 1 of stack "Audio 
Feedback Level" to sdbMessage(sdbCancelTranslated)
     set the toolTip of button "Thumbs Up" of card 1 of stack "Audio 
Feedback Level" to sdbMessage(sdbUseLevelToolTip)
     set the label of stack "Audio Feedback Level" to 
sdbMessage(sdbAudioFeedbackLabel)
     set the label of stack "sdbEditor" to sdbMessage(sdbFieldEditLabel)
     set the toolTip of button "Previous Field" of card 1 of stack 
"sdbEditor" to sdbMessage(sdbPreviousFieldToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Next Field" of card 1 of stack 
"sdbEditor" to sdbMessage(sdbNextFieldToolTip)
     set the toolTip of button "Thumbs Up" of card 1 of stack 
"sdbEditor" to sdbMessage(sdbUpdateFieldToolTip)
     put sdbMessage(sdbOfTranslated) into field "of Translated" of 
card 1 of stack "sdbEditor"
     send "loadSDBMessages" to stack "sdbDatabase Template"
     put sdbMessage(sdbCommentNote) into field "Comments" of card 2 of 
stack "sdbDatabase Template"
     save this stack
     answer sdbMessage(sdbMessagesLoaded) with sdbMessage(sdbOKTranslated)
     play audioClip "click.au"
     break
   end switch
end menuPick

on loadSDBMessages
   set the name of button 1 to sdbMessage(sdbFileMenu)
   set the text of button 1 to 
sdbMessage(sdbBrowseDBMenuItem)&return&"-"&return&sdbMessage(sdbQuitMenuItem)
   set the name of button 2 to sdbMessage(sdbEditMenu)
   set the text of button 2 to 
sdbMessage(sdbChangePasswordsMenuItem)&return&"-"&return&sdbMessage(sdbNewRecordMenuItem)&return&sdbMessage(sdbDeleteRecordMenuItem)&return&"-"&return&sdbMessage(sdbExportRecordsMenuItem)&return&sdbMessage(sdbImportRecordsMenuItem)&return&"-"&return&sdbMessage(sdbFieldEditMenuItem)
   set the name of button 3 to sdbMessage(sdbHelpMenu)
   set the text of button 3 to 
sdbMessage(sdbLoadHelpMenuItem)&return&"-"&return&sdbMessage(sdbAboutSDBMenuItem)
   put sdbMessage(sdbUpdateTranslated) into word 1 to -2 of field 
"Update" of card 1
   set the toolTip of button "Locked Files" of card 1 to 
sdbMessage(sdbUnlockDBToolTip)
   set the toolTip of button "Unlocked Files" of card 1 to 
sdbMessage(sdbLockDBToolTip)
   set the toolTip of field "File Index" of card 2 to 
sdbMessage(sdbSelectTypeToolTip)
   set the toolTip of button "Notes Toggle" of card 2 to 
sdbMessage(sdbShowNotesToolTip)
   set the toolTip of button "Record Lock" of card 3 to 
sdbMessage(sdbUnlockRecordToolTip)
   set the toolTip of button "First Record" of card 3 to 
sdbMessage(sdbFirstRecordToolTip)
   set the toolTip of button "Previous Record" of card 3 to 
sdbMessage(sdbPreviousRecordToolTip)
   set the toolTip of button "Index" of card 3 to sdbMessage(sdbIndexToolTip)
   set the toolTip of button "Next Record" of card 3 to 
sdbMessage(sdbNextRecordToolTip)
   set the toolTip of button "Last Record" of card 3 to 
sdbMessage(sdbLastRecordToolTip)
end loadSDBMessages

-- 

Rob Cozens
CCW, Serendipity Software Company
http://www.oenolog.com/who.htm

"And I, which was two fooles, do so grow three;
Who are a little wise, the best fooles bee."

from "The Triple Foole" by John Donne (1572-1631)