Localizing WinForms Controls via Localizer Objects
- 5 minutes to read
Each DevExpress component or library has a specific Localizer class that provides localized strings (see the table below). The Data Grid control, for example, has the GridLocalizer class.
Note
Important: Not all strings can be translated via Localizer classes. Some components contain form resources (e.g., the XtraReports Search dialog), which must be translated via satellite assemblies, so localization via resources is recommended.
Localization Process
Use custom localizers to provide translated strings for localization as follows.
- Create a descendant of a corresponding Localizer class and override either the GetLocalizedString method (which returns strings for specific string resource identifiers) or PopulateStringTable method (which adds strings for specified resource identifiers).
- To use this localizer, assign an instance of this class to the static Active property of the localizer class you inherited from.
The following table lists Localizer classes and Resource String enumerations for DevExpress WinForms products.
Example
The following example demonstrates how to localize certain built-in strings in the DevExpress Data Grid UI and Editors UI into German by creating custom localizers.
The localized grid interface (at runtime) is shown below.
First, create descendants of the GridLocalizer and Localizer classes to provide custom translations for a subset of localizable strings.
using DevExpress.XtraEditors.Controls;
using DevExpress.XtraGrid.Localization;
public class GermanGridLocalizer : GridLocalizer {
public override string Language { get { return "Deutsch"; } }
public override string GetLocalizedString(GridStringId id) {
string ret = "";
switch (id) {
// ...
case GridStringId.GridGroupPanelText: return "Ziehen Sie eine Spaltenüberschrift in diesen Bereich, um nach dieser zu gruppieren";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnClearSorting: return "Sortierung entfernen";
case GridStringId.MenuGroupPanelHide: return "Gruppierungsfeld ausblenden";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnRemoveColumn: return "Spalte entfernen";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnFilterEditor: return "Filter &bearbeiten";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnFindFilterShow: return "Suche einblenden";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnAutoFilterRowShow: return "Zeige Auto Filterzeile";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnSortAscending: return "Aufsteigend sortieren";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnSortDescending: return "Absteigend sortieren";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnGroup: return "Gruppieren fur dieses Feld";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnUnGroup: return "Gruppierung aufheben";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnColumnCustomization: return "Laufzeit benutzerdefinierte Spalte";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnBestFit: return "Optimale Breite";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnFilter: return "Kann gruppieren";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnClearFilter: return "Filter aufheben";
case GridStringId.MenuColumnBestFitAllColumns: return "Optimale Breite (alle Spalten)";
// ...
default:
ret = base.GetLocalizedString(id);
break;
}
return ret;
}
}
public class GermanEditorsLocalizer : Localizer {
public override string Language { get { return "Deutsch"; }}
public override string GetLocalizedString(StringId id) {
switch(id) {
// ...
case StringId.NavigatorTextStringFormat: return "Zeile {0} von {1}";
case StringId.PictureEditMenuCut: return "Ausschneiden";
case StringId.PictureEditMenuCopy: return "Kopieren";
case StringId.PictureEditMenuPaste: return "Einfugen";
case StringId.PictureEditMenuDelete: return "Loschen";
case StringId.PictureEditMenuLoad: return "Laden";
case StringId.PictureEditMenuSave: return "Speichern";
// ...
}
return "";
}
}
To use these Localizers, assign instances of GermanGridLocalizer and GermanEditorsLocalizer classes to their ancestor’s Active property.