Different languages for text

Question

Hello !

I'm creating a vb.net application.

but I need to set labels , button caption , Form's caption .... in different languages ( depending on what language the user choose ).

I need a suggestions about how can I do that.

Thank you !  

Answer 1

Take the users choice and case on it for different languages.

Renee

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"MODERN PROGRAMMING is deficient in elementary ways BECAUSE of problems INTRODUCED by MODERN PROGRAMMING." Me

Answer 2

But how and where can I save all the text translations ?

Answer 3

You'll to say much, much more.

Renee

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"MODERN PROGRAMMING is deficient in elementary ways BECAUSE of problems INTRODUCED by MODERN PROGRAMMING." Me

Answer 4

But how and where can I save all the text translations ?

Use Googles or Bings, or both in case one is down, translate API's if they have them then translate all your controls text accordingly.

Which for some things may require you to measure strings in order to resize controls since a translation may be longer than the original text perhaps.

Or translate all your text for all your controls to all known languages now and store all the translations in text files, line by line so each textfiles translations are all in the same order. Add each of those files as resources to your app. Then you have access to them if somebody selects a particular language.

Or maybe even one delimited text file with all language names on the top line and all translations directly below.

American English|British English|Russian|Mexican Spanish
Dollar|Pound|рубль|Peso
Tequila|Tequila|текила|Tequila
Button1|Button1|кнопка1|Botón1

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La vida loca

Answer 5

But how and where can I save all the text translations ?

Keywords here are "globalization", "localization" and "internationalization".

Resources are usually used for storing strings in different languages.

Some links to get you started:

Localizing Windows Forms Resources
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/yys3e2fd%28v=vs.100%29.aspx

Managing Application Resources
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/9za7fxc7%28v=vs.100%29.aspx

Resources in Applications
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/f45fce5x%28v=vs.100%29.aspx

How to: Retrieve String Resources in Visual Basic
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/d6z7a1dy%28v=vs.100%29.aspx

How To Localize Your Application Using String Tables
http://www.dev102.com/2008/10/20/how-to-localize-your-application-using-string-tables/

Microsoft .NET Internationalization
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/goglobal/bb688096.aspx

Globalization, Internationalization (I18N), and Localization using C# and .NET 2.0
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/43360/Globalization-Internationalization-I-N-and-Locali
(C# not VB, and rather old (.NET 2) but gives a good overview of the process.)

- Wayne

Answer 6

If it is only what you wrote then you can use the language setting of forms, mostly persons want also give messages and than that procedure lacks flexibility.

Here is the walkthrough, likewise Wayne wrote it is very old and I think it is seldom used (it needs also special install procedures).

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/y99d1cd3(v=vs.110).aspx

Creating your own XML file will give you a lot more flexibility.

Be aware to create a program in a different language needs a deep knowledge of languages, with an XML file you can use external knowledge while the resources (that is not the resource) method let that do by the programmer. 

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Success
Cor