Multi language tooltips in Windows forms

28 Nov 2007 12:21 PM

coolCoder

Hi,
I am working on an application which needs localization. I am
able to localize all the controls on the form except the tool tips. I
searched alot on google, but was unable to find some sample
application. Does anyone here have an idea for implementing
localization easily for tool tips in windows forms application ?

Another question is about the procedure to implement
localization in winforms application. I have built a class library
which has a method named ApplyCulture. This method takes an argument
of form object by ref and then I iterate through controls collection
to set strings retrieved from database. This is so because I wanted to
store my key / value pairs for multilanguage in database instead of
RESX files. So now the actual question is, whether my approach is
optimal and obvious ? Or is there anything I can do to make it
optimal. Also, when you add a RESX file, how does the strings change
when you change UICulture property of current thread.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
coolCoder.

28 Nov 2007 2:56 PM

Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]

On 28 Nov., 13:21, coolCoder <anant.yadunath.kulka***@gmail.com>
wrote:

> I am working on an application which needs localization. I am
> able to localize all the controls on the form except the tool tips. I
> searched alot on google, but was unable to find some sample
> application. Does anyone here have an idea for implementing
> localization easily for tool tips in windows forms application ?

I would use 'My.Resources' for this purpose. Simply copy your
project's "Resources.resx" file, rename it to "Resources.de-DE.resx"
for German resources, for example. You can use any language
identifier instead of the 'de-DE', even 'de' or 'en'. Then you can
pass 'My.Resources.SampleToolTip' in the call to your 'ToolTip'
object's 'SetToolTip' method.

> Another question is about the procedure to implement
> localization in winforms application. I have built a class library
> which has a method named ApplyCulture. This method takes an argument
> of form object by ref and then I iterate through controls collection
> to set strings retrieved from database. This is so because I wanted to
> store my key / value pairs for multilanguage in database instead of
> RESX files. So now the actual question is, whether my approach is
> optimal and obvious ? Or is there anything I can do to make it
> optimal. Also, when you add a RESX file, how does the strings change
> when you change UICulture property of current thread.

This is not as easy because it's impossible to determine where the
string assigned to a control comes from (which resource, to be more
precise). You'll have to store this information somewhere in order to
assign the right string to the control.

--
Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]
<URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>

28 Nov 2007 3:07 PM

coolCoder

Show quote Hide quote

On Nov 28, 7:56 pm, "Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]" <h***@gmx.at> wrote:
> On 28 Nov., 13:21, coolCoder <anant.yadunath.kulka***@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > I am working on an application which needs localization. I am
> > able to localize all the controls on the form except the tool tips. I
> > searched alot on google, but was unable to find some sample
> > application. Does anyone here have an idea for implementing
> > localization easily for tool tips in windows forms application ?
>
> I would use 'My.Resources' for this purpose. Simply copy your
> project's "Resources.resx" file, rename it to "Resources.de-DE.resx"
> for German resources, for example. You can use any language
> identifier instead of the 'de-DE', even 'de' or 'en'. Then you can
> pass 'My.Resources.SampleToolTip' in the call to your 'ToolTip'
> object's 'SetToolTip' method.
>
> > Another question is about the procedure to implement
> > localization in winforms application. I have built a class library
> > which has a method named ApplyCulture. This method takes an argument
> > of form object by ref and then I iterate through controls collection
> > to set strings retrieved from database. This is so because I wanted to
> > store my key / value pairs for multilanguage in database instead of
> > RESX files. So now the actual question is, whether my approach is
> > optimal and obvious ? Or is there anything I can do to make it
> > optimal. Also, when you add a RESX file, how does the strings change
> > when you change UICulture property of current thread.
>
> This is not as easy because it's impossible to determine where the
> string assigned to a control comes from (which resource, to be more
> precise). You'll have to store this information somewhere in order to
> assign the right string to the control.
>
> --
> Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]
> <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>

Hi Herfried,
First of all, thanks for your reply. Actually I have
extended the ResourceManager class so that I have a new class called
ResourceManagerSql. This class does have GetString() method which
returns me correct string value for a key passed as an argument. Now
let me clear my questions a bit.

1. I have described that I am iterating through controls collections
and there child controls to change the strings when user switches
language. <User can switch language using a button> So, I wanted to
know, how the strings are changed when you use RESX files ?
Automatically or whether the IDE (VS.NET 2005) writes code for
changing these strings some where ? If I am totally lost on the topic,
please let me know the exact procedure to extend the ResourceManager
class so that strings automatically change when I set the UICulture of
current thread.

2. Now the second question is related to the first. Since tool tip is
a control extender, I am not able to access ToolTip property from
code itself. So imagine a class library, which iterates through each
and every control and changes the strings as it finds those in the
database. How can I set ToolTips in this fashion ? Whether my approach
is correct or not ?

I did not find any material for extending the ResourceManager class.
Can you please point me to some useful link ?

Thanks,
coolCoder