Developing Multi-lingual web Application in .Net -I

Introduction:

Developing Multi-lingual Web Application we first need to understand the concept behind multi-lingual.  As per name we can say that it should support various languages to display its web contents and stores data in various languages.

1. Understanding Globalization, Localization and Culture
   
2. Resources - Local Resources, Global Resources and Satellite Assemblies
   
3.  Implementing Internalization
   

.Net provides concepts of Globalization and localization for it, so first understand it.

Understanding Globalization: 

Globalization is process of identifying all the localizable resources in the application that will support multiple cultures. Ideally it is performing during design phase of an application, so that the resources always remain separate from the code.

Understanding Localization:

In Localization you customize the application for new locales. This consists of translating resources that you identified during the globalization phase.

Difference between Localization and Globalization:

Globalization is process of identifying how many resources needs to be localized to adopt a multiple culture support, while Localization is actual process of translating resource to a specific culture. So Localization is the part of Globalization.

Culture:

Culture means geographical location which identify group of people having same type interest, life style, language etc.
As for Example:
Hi-IN - indication Hindi spoken at India.
En-US - indication English spoken at United States.
En-GB - indication English spoken at Great Briton.

Resource Files:

Microsoft .Net provides .resx files to support Globalization concept.
Resource file is xml format file having key-value pair for resource.
Resource files consists of user interface data, like texts, logos, images etc resources.
Example:
English - Hello, good morning.
Hindi- ????, ??? ????????
You can not use any special character in key pair.

Local Resources:

Local Resource is xml based file, which stores resources with local scope into App_LocalResource directory. We can not access one pages local resource from another page.
They can be generated by ASP.Net automatically. For it go to design view of aspx page and then Tools > Generate 

Local Resource.

Way 1: 

<asp:Button ID="Button1" runat="server"  Text="<%$Resources: MyLocalResourcekey1%>" />

Way 2:

Button1.Text = GetLocalResourceObject("MyLocalResourcekey1").ToString();

Global Resources:

Global Resource is also xml format file, used to store resources globally, means we can access same resource from different pages. It store in App_GlobalResource folder.
 
As like Local Resource we can not generate it automatically.
Way 1:

<asp:Button ID="Button1" runat="server" Text="<%$Resources:MyGlobalResourceClass, MyGlobalResourcekey1%>" />

Way 2:

Button1.Text = GetGlobalResourceObject("MyGlobalResourcekey1").ToString();

Way 3:

Button1.Text = Resources. MyGlobalResourceClass. MyGlobalResourcekey1;

Local Resource vs. Global Resource:

1.      Performance: Global Resources are faster than Local Resource- because Global Resources are Strongly Typed.

2.      Data Consistency. Explanation: In your application you have Label Text as Category and ten pages. Now you want to change it to CATEGORY then if you using Local Resource concept then you have to change 10 resource files, where as in Global Resource you need to change only one.

3.      Difference as per Project Type:

a.      ASP.Net Website (Microsoft Visual Studio’s default type):

                                                  i.      Local Resource is treated as content based resource, so we can change it and it affects    to website.

                                                               ii.      Global Resource is treated as embedded resource, So they are compiled into specific language dlls into bin folder.

b.      ASP.Net Web Application

                                                                 i.      Both Local and Global resource are treated as content based resource, so both are editable.

 Any change in any type of resource cause whole resource compilation.

Satellite Assemblies:

Assembly containing no executable code—only resources. Typically, satellite assemblies are used for storing localized data. Satellite assembles can be added, modified, and loaded into a .NET application at runtime without recompiling. Use the Assembly Linking Utility to create satellite assemblies by compiling .resource files.
 
It reduces the overhead of compiling resources and makes application faster. 

Step 1: Creating Compile resource files (.resource)

Use “resgen.exe” tool to create Compile resource files (.resource) from resource file (.txt or .resx). 

Command line:

resgen myresource.resx

Step 2: Creating Satellite Assemblies(.dll)
Use following AL commandline to create .dll

AL /t:lib /culture:en-US /embed: myresource.en-GU.resources /out: myresource.resources.dll

Where,
          /t switch tells that the output is of type library (DLL),
          /culture switch tells that the resources being embedded in the assembly are for en-US culture.
            /embed switch specifies the .resources file that is to be embedded in the Satellite Assembly,
          /out switch specifies the name of output assembly.