Stereoscopic Player Localization
Introduction
The Stereoscopic Player can be localized without modifying the program's source
code by creating a separate language file for each language. The file must be stored
in Unicode format and placed in the Stereoscopic Player main directory (e.g. C:\Program
Files\Stereoscopic Player). To edit a language file, it is recommended to use Notepad,
which ships with Windows. When saving the file, make sure you select the Unicode
format.
A language file begins with a header containing a signature, the language name
and a language ID. A
list
of language IDs can be found on MSDN. The last two header lines are a version
number and the translator's name. The rest of the file contains translations for
each string used by the player. If a string is missing in the language file, the
English default value is used. Creating a localized version is as easy as duplicating
English.lng or German.lng and translating all lines of the derived file. Once you
see a localization file, it will be quite obvious how they work. Stereoscopic Player
allows to select the language manually in the File|Settings dialog, so it is possible
to try out languages different from your operating system's language.
There is a a localization tool
available for download which compares two language files. It lists all lines present
in English.lng or German.lng but missing in your file. The localization tool will
help you to identify string introduced with a new release of Stereoscopic Players.
Hints:
- Verify that your string are not too long and fit into the available space.
Take a look at the main window, the library and all dialogs. If a string doesn't
fit, it is usually possible to find a shorter one with equivalent meaning.
- Use the latest Stereoscopic Player version.
- Do not remove placeholders (%1, %2, ...), Stereoscopic Player replaces them
by dynamic values. Admittedly it can be difficult to find out the meaning of a
placeholder, but in most cases it is obvious from the context.
- Avoid spelling errors. If you are unsure about proper translations for technical
terms, a Google search might help to find them.
- Derive your translation from English.lng or German.lng. These are original
language files we created. Avoid using one of the other language files.
- Use the same terms and conventions (e.g. upper case vs. lower case) as Microsoft
does in Windows and its other products.
- If you have any questions, please ask. We are eager to help you!
Please contact us before
your start working on a new localization! We will coordinate the work to avoid that
the localization for the same language is done twice! Consider to allow us to distribute
your translation. In this case, you will in turn get free product keys.
Language File Format Description
It is possible to resize and move controls of each dialog, but usually it is
not necessary since Stereoscopic Player adjusts their position and size automatically
(since version 0.9.1). Under certain circumstances, it might be necessary to adjust
controls manually if a string does not fit in the original control because it is
longer than in the English version.
A localization item consists of a unique number, followed by the value of this
item. Each line of a localization file must contain only one item. All items must
be ordered by their unique number. The unique number consists of four parts:
1. Module number: Each dialog and each window has its own number. Message
strings are also grouped by their source code unit.
2. Sub-module number: Each control in a dialog or window also has its
own number. In case of a message string, the sub-module number identifies the message.
3. Property number: Specifies the property of the control which should
be changed. The property number is usually zero. Properties starting from 100 are
used to specify list items.
4. Data type: 0 = String, 1 = Integer
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