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Internationalization / Globalization System for Visual Basic

Internationalization / Globalization System for Visual Basic.
(freeware open-source library) (outdated!)


MagicGlob is a freeware open-source library. It allows programmer to translate interface of any application written in Visual Basic to any other language (French, German, Spanish, etc...).

MagicGlob searches for all controls on a given form, and adds information such as Menus, Captions, Texts and Tooltips to a default language file. Later this file can be modified by a professional translator (or just someone who speaks a few languages...) and loaded in application replacing the default interface.


Click here to download MagicGlob



Steps to attach MagicGlob system to your Visual Basic project


Though it looks hard and frustrating, it's really not. Install process is manual and may take some time, but this makes MagicGlob very flexible.

  1. Set "Startup Object" to "Sub Main" in your Project Properties

    (accessible from [Project] menu).



  2. Click [Add Module] from [Project] menu, and add a new module to your project. Paste the following code inside that module:

    Sub Main()



    ' Set to:

    '        1 - to create new default language file.

    '        0 - to allow forms load data from language file.

    #If 1 Then



        MAKE_DEFAULT_LANGUAGE_FILE



        Add_To_Lang_File Form1

        Add_To_Lang_File Form2

        ' Add more forms here or

        ' remove the previous line if you have only

        ' one form in your project!



        MsgBox "Language file created!"



        End ' to avoid conflicts, just exit.



    #Else



        LOAD_LANGUAGE_FILE



    #End If



    ' Since we start from Sub Main,

    ' we should manually show the startup form:

    Form1.Show



End Sub


  3. Insert the following code in Form_Load() event of all forms that you'd like to translate:

    

	If Load_from_Lang_File(Me) Then Exit Sub


  4. If there are components that you do not wish to be added to the language file, create _ignored.dat file and use the following format:

    

Form1.Text1

Form1.lbl*
    (you can use built-in pattern matching)


  5. You can create "_msg.dat" file with all strings that are used inside your application (message boxes, error messages, etc...).
    When you add a string to "_msg.dat" file, you should use cMT() function to make a translation (when translation isn't done this function just returns the same string that was passed as a parameter).

    For example:
    MsgBox cMT("This is a test message!")

    Notes:

    • Double quotes inside the string such as "" should be replaced with a single double quote: ". For example if the source string is:
      "Hello ""World!"""
       it should be added to file as:
      Hello "World!"


    • "_msg.dat" file is used later to find a matching string inside "_lang.dat" file. Only "_lang.dat" should be translated and "_msg.dat" should always contain the same strings that are used when calling to cMT() function.




  6. Using [Add Module] from [Project] menu, add these existing modules to your project: CLang.bas and modGeneral.bas (these files are included in Sources.zip of MagicGlob pack).



  7. Run your project (press F5 key), this will create "_default.dat" file.



  8. Replace this line:
    #If 1 Then
    with:
    #If 0 Then
    in Sub Main().



  9. Rename "_default.dat" file to "_lang.dat".



  10. "_lang.dat" is ready to be translated!

    Only strings that start from the left edge of the screen should be translated, all other data is used by MagicGlob internally.



  11. These files should be distributed in a root folder of translated version of your application:

       "_lang.dat"
       "_msg.dat"

    In case "_lang.dat" cannot be found, the translation will not be done, and your application will use its original interface. This allows you to use the same executable file both for original and translated versions of your software.



File list of Sources.zip:
  • CLang.bas and modGeneral.bas - MagicGlob modules.

  • Project1.vbp - sample project.

  • _ignored.dat, _lang.dat, _msg.dat, Form1.*, Form2.*, Module1.bas , mssccprj.scc - used by the sample project.


 

Happy coding!