WPF: add localization via resx files

Developing localizable feature in old application wasn’t painless. 🙂
In Windows environment, thanks to .Net framework this feature is very easy.
WPF doesn’t miss the point (ehm locbaml?? ;)) so realizing localizable applications is very easy indeed.

Since I’m still a WPF newbie developer, I found old resx files is still the simple solution.
I run through this very helpfull post WPF Localization – RESX Option by Toad.

Here is a step-by-step summary:

1. Added “Resource” folder to wpf project
2. Added resx files, based on languages to support (ie: Resource.en-US.resx, Resource.it-IT.resx, … and Resources.resx of couse)
   
3. Changed resx files from Internal to Public
   
4. Added resource namespace in Window1.xaml:

   xmlns:resx="clr-namespace:WpfApplication1.Resources"

5. Setted property’s binding to desidered controls:

   <TextBlock Text="{x:Static resx:Resource.SampleMessage}" />

So standard Window1.xaml can result like this

<Window x:Class="WpfApplication1.Window1"
 xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
 xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
 xmlns:resx="clr-namespace:WpfApplication1.Resources"
 Title="Window1" Height="100" Width="300">
<Grid>
 <TextBlock Text="{x:Static resx:Resource.SampleMessage}" />
</Grid>
</Window>

6. To test different languages, pre_setting language in App class constructor:

   public partial class App : Application
   {
       static App()
       {
           Resource.Culture = new System.Globalization.CultureInfo("it-IT");
       }
   }

XAML binding let resource available in designer window:

Ta-daaa! 🙂

source: WPF Localization – RESX Option

Technorati tags: WPFLocalization

Tags: .Net, WPF