Translation

[q55x8x]

Someone in the forums asked for doing translation and I though before it gets forgotten I might add this issue and maybe discuss the implementation as a translation system can be done on so many different ways it most likely always comes down to personal preference.
Also as soon as we have things to translate we could include the community and make translation public as we go along. I think many people will be happy about a version in their language already available.

[Notay]

Thanks for adding the issue, I keep meaning to but then end up programming instead.

My initial thought is to use the build-in resources / globalization stuff. https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/h6270d0z(v=vs.100).aspx
Can use simple text files: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/xbx3z216(v=vs.100).aspx (xml is not fun to edit.)

I have not used it, I don't know the performance of it.

Note:
Current implementation of scripting is designed to use dot as decimal separator, and has no thousands separator.
We will want to handle this properly when users culture is different.

[Notay]

I looked in to using the resource system. Using the 'simple text files' I mentioned before, are not easy to get a simple work flow.
If we use the built in stuff, setup is really easy for Forms/Controls. But providing a way for people to translate without using visual studio is not so simple.

To setup go to a control/form properties, enable Localizable, change Language to desired language, then simply change the text of containing controls.

If nobody does anything else, we can to this with little work.

[q55x8x]

we could maybe make simple files will all content that needs translation and write a converter to get the localized content into the programm. Dunno how complex that might turn out but it's an idea how we could keep community integration in the project.

[Notay]

There is a command line tool Resgen.exe that converts readable text files into the binary files used by the resource system.
Resgen.exe is distributed through Visual Studio or the Windows SDK, so it we would have to build the translations when we make a release. So a translator could not easily see there effect, they would have to wait until we publish a new release.

[Notay]

Ok, I got it figured out using Resgen. It will likely add a step for new developers before they can build the program.

1. Clone repo
2. Run ResourceGenerator (creates helper classes, and compiles the translation files.)
3. Open sln file.
4. Build/Run

It could be made so on Build/Run it runs the generator, but most of the time it is not needed, and I like fast compiles.
Ill have something up in a day or so. (just got it all figured out, and don't have time to build it properly.)

[Notay]

As of commit f4a6fa9 the system is now in place.
Make sure you run Files\ResourceCompiler.exe before running.
I want to wait until the UI is more finalized before moving there text into a translatable file.