Internationalization in ASP.NET 2.0

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Internationalizationin ASP.NET 2.0

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SQL Server 2005 Data Columns

• Use Unicode datatypes in Table columns,
  CONVERT() and CAST() operations
• nchar
• nvarchar
• nvarchar(max)
• ntext
• Catalog view sys.types reports length in bytes,
  not characters
• Substitute ASCII() and CHAR() with UNICODE()
  and NCHAR()
• Define variables and parameters of Stored
  Procedure and triggers in Unicode
• Prefix Unicode string constants with the letter
  N

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Establish the Users preferred culture
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Culture

• Description of a language, and OPTIONALLY a
  region
• System.Globalization.CultureInfo class
• languagecode2-country/regioncode2-script
• Examples en represents neutral English
  en-GB represents UK English
• CultureInfo object
• Invariant absence of culture (may be
  English)
• Neutral en Language NOT specific to
  a particular region
• Specific en-GB Language in a specific
  region, and region info,

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Default International behavior

• Default internationalization behavior is
  determined by
• CurrentCulture must be a SPECIFIC
  culturedefault culture for System.Globalization
  affects culture specific formatting (date/time,
  number,currency, AND display of Calendar
  control)
• CurrentUICulture Can be neutral or specific
  culturedefault culture used by ResourceManager

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Setting the Culture

• Web.config
• ltglobalization enableClientBasedCulturetrue
  cultureen-GB
  uicultureen /gt
• Or, lt_at_ Page Cultureautoen-GB
  UICultureautoen . gt
• Page
• Automatic (browsers first requested culture)
  with default lt_at_ Page Cultureautoen-GB
  UICultureautoen .
  gt
• Programmatically
• Analyze complete list of browsers culture
  requests
• Based upon setting in the Users Profile

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Set Culture reviewing all browser requests
CODE Sample

• Protected Overloads Overrides Sub
  InitializeCulture()
•           If Request.UserLanguages IsNot Nothing
  AndAlso Request.UserLanguages.GetLength(0) gt 0
  Then
• Dim ct As New CultureInfo(Request.UserLanguages
  (0))
• If ct IsNot Nothing Then
• Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture ct
• Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture
  CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture(ct.Name)
• End If
• End If
• End Sub

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Resource Code
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Resource code Managers

• ASP.NET Built-in System.Resources.ResourceM
  anager
• Uses standard .resx format
• Easily handled by localization firms
• Directly supported in VS 2005
• Built-in tool to generate .resx filesfrom
  non-localized ASP.NET project
• Cached good performance
• Custom resource managers
• Directly use SQL Server
• Slower performance

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Creating Resource Files VS 2005 Tool

• Visual Studio 2005 tool Generate
  Local Resources
• Generates resource file for a particular page
  -- from Design view Tools gt Generate Local
  Resoruces
• Automatically creates .resx file that includes
  all properties marked Localizable(true)
• By default, most Webcontrols Text, Title,
  ToolTip
• NOT HTLM controls, except HtmlAnchor, HtmlImage
  
  HtmlInputImage, HtmlTitle
• Automatically modifies the page source
• Does NOT work with raw HTML, e.g. ltpgttextlt/pgt
  can substitute Localize control

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Resource File Hierarchy

• The Generate Local Resource tool only creates the
  default page resource files.You must copy the
  default resource files and rename then to create
  the language resource hierarchy.

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Generate Local Resources

• Generate Local Resources Page SourceExample
  code, before using tool
• lt_at_ Page Languagevb" AutoEventWireup"true
  CodeFile"Default.aspx.vb" Inherits"_Default" gt
• after using tool
• lt_at_ Page Languagevb" AutoEventWireup"true"
• CodeFile"Default.aspx.vb" Inherits"_Default"
• Culture"auto" metaresourcekey"PageResource1"
  UICulture"auto" gt

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Generate Local Resources

• Generate Local Resources Example code BEFORE
  using tool lt_at_ Page Languagevb"
  AutoEventWireup"true CodeFile"Default.aspx.vb"
  Inherits"_Default" gt
• lttablegt
• lttrgt
• lttd style"width 100px"gt
• ltaspLabel ID"Label1" runat"server"
• Text"User name"gtlt/aspLabelgtlt/tdgt
• lttd style"width 100px"gt
• ltaspTextBox ID"TextBox1" runat"server"gt
• lt/aspTextBoxgtlt/tdgt
• lt/trgt
• lt/tablegt

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Generate Local Resources

• Generate Local Resources Example code, after
  using tool
• lttablegt lttrgt
• lttd style"width 100px"gt
• ltaspLabel ID"Label1" runat"server"
• Text"User Name"
• metaresourcekey"Label1Resource1"gt
• lt/aspLabelgtlt/tdgt
• lttd style"width 100px"gt
• ltaspTextBox ID"TextBox1" runat"server"
• metaresourcekey"TextBox1Resource1"gt
• lt/aspTextBoxgtlt/tdgt
• lt/trgt lt/tablegt

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Resource Code GenerationDemo
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Add App_GlobalResources Folder
App_LocalResources Folder

• Adding Global Resource File under
  App_GlobalResources Folder Adding Local Resource
  File under App_LocalResources FolderNote While
  creating resource file, you should name resource
  file with filename.aspx.cultercode.resx

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Generate Local Resources

• Generate Local Resources Example Resource file
  

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Generate Local Resources

• Generate Local Resources
• Original TEXT attribute is retained
• Not used at Runtime
• Shown at design time
• Property Windows - shown with pink icon

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Preventing localization

• When using the Generate Local Resources tool
• Can prevent a control from being included in
  Generate Local ResourcesltaspLabel ID"Label1"
  runat"server"
• Metalocalizefalse Text"User name"gt
• lt/aspLabelgt

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Localize control

• Generate Local Resource tool Does NOT work with
  static text, e.g. ltpgtThis is an example.lt/pgt
• Can substitute Localize control (derived from
  Literal), but must contain ONLY static text (no
  ASP.NET controls) ltpgt ltaspLocalize IDlocEx
  runatServergt This is an example.
  lt/aspLocalizegt lt/pgtGenerate Local Resources
  will transform this to ltpgt ltaspLocalize
  IDlocEx runatServergt metaresourcekeylo
  cEx TextThis is an example.gt
  lt/aspLocalizegt lt/pgt

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Explicit Expressions

• Generate Local Resource tool generates IMPLICIT
  expressions for controls with properties marked
  internally as Localizable(true)
• Explicit Expressions useful for binding
  resources to ANY property such as color, or
  ImageURL of ImageControl
• - use in HTML Attributes

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Explicit Expressions contd

• Explicit Expressions
• Syntax lt Resources resource-file,
  resource-key gt"
• If resource-file is not specified, then looks
  for resource-key in local resource
• Cannot combine Explicit resource
  expression for a local resource
  and Implicit resource expression within
  same control
• Can combine Explicit resource
  expression for a GLOBAL resource
  and Implicit resource expression within
  same control

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Global Resources

• Global Resources
• Reduces duplication All pages may share access
  to the same set of resources
• Necessary for Explicit resources where in control
  that also uses Implicit resources
• Compiled into a strongly typed class
• MUST be in folder App_GlobalResources
• MUST use explicit resource references

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Programmatic Resource Access

• Global Resources
• Can use compiled classname labMessage.Text
  Resources.GlobalColors.WarningColor
• Local Resources
• User the GetLocalResourceObject labMessage.Text
  me.GetLocalResourceObject(
  PageResources1.title)

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Using Assemblies

• The ResourceManager class allows the user to
  access and control resources stored in the main
  assembly or in resource satellite assemblies
• The Resource File Generator (Resgen.exe) converts
  .txt files and .resx (XML-based resource format)
  files to common language runtime binary
  .resources files that can be embedded in a
  runtime binary executable or compiled into
  satellite assemblies.

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Using Text files

• resource.fr-FR.txt - which contains the below
  French text.

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visual studio command prompt

• Now open the visual studio command prompt and run
  the resgen.exe with .txt file as parameter as
  shown in image below.

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Code to Access Assemblies

• 'Read the rsources files
• Dim strResourcesPath As String
  Server.MapPath("bin")
• Dim rm As ResourceManager
  ResourceManager.CreateFileBasedResourceManager("re
  source.fr-FR", strResourcesPath, Nothing)
• lblwelcome.Text rm.GetString("0006") ", "
  rm.GetString("0007")
• Button1.Text rm.GetString("0008")

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Numbers/Currency

• Numberic .ToString
• Culture formatted using NumberFormatInfo class
• Can be created for Specific or Invariant
  culture, but NOT created for a neutral
  culture
• Default set by CurrentCultures NumberFormat
  Property
• Standard number format Specifiers
• Uses NumberFormatInfo class
• c, C Currency f, F Fixed Pointn,
  N Number p, P Percent
• Does NOT use NumberFormatInfo class
• d, D Decimal e, E Exponential x,
  X Hexadecimal g, G General r, R Round-trip
• Can specify a particular culture
• Val.ToString(N, new CultureInfo(fr-FR))

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DateTime - Output

• DateTime .ToString method
• Culture formatted using DateTimeFormatInfo class
• Can be created for Specific or Invariant
  culture, but NOT created for a neutral
  culture
• Default set by CurrentCultures DateTimeFormat
  Property
• Uses CurrentCulture by default
• ToString() ToShortDateString() ToLongDateString()
  ToShortTimeString() ToLongTimeString()
• Specify particular culture
• ToString(string)
• ToString(string, IFormatProvider)