localizing software

[Jan Schenkel]

--- Mark Talluto <userev at canelasoftware.com> wrote:
> I need to localize one of my apps for different
> languages.  I  
> remember talking with Trevor about this at a
> SoCalRev Meeting a while  
> back.  I just don't remember the details.
> 
> How are you guys handling multi-lang versions of
> your software?  I  
> remember him storing it in a custom property.  The
> key was the  
> technique for changing out the text for all the
> controls in a stack  
> on the fly.  Any pointers would be appreciated.
> 
> 
> Mark Talluto
> 

Hi Mark,

It's been a while since I did a multi-lingual app in
Revolution, but here's some advice:
1) storage: instead of custom properties in each
control, I found it better to use external XML files ;
just store a labelID, tooltipID, textID in your
controls ; write a frontscript with a generic
'preOpenCard' handler that loops over all the controls
and updates the label, text and tooltip properties
with a lookup.
2) ui changes: allow for up to 50% more characters in
label fields and text buttons ; the 50% is a figure
that we came up with here at work where the standard
language is Dutch, but we also had to provide for
French and English ; English and Dutch are usually
around the same length, but French can be
significantly longer.
3) platform specific: MacOS has no problem with the
menubar after you update the labels ; on Windows and
Unix, don't forget to update the width of menu buttons
; have a look at the handler named
'revLayoutMenuButtons' in the script of card "Menu
Manager" of stack "RevMenuManager" ; that's where I
copied my code from :-)

Hope this helped,

Jan Schenkel.

Quartam Reports & PDF Library for Revolution
<http://www.quartam.com>

=====
"As we grow older, we grow both wiser and more foolish at the same time."  (La Rochefoucauld)


       
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