Localizing WinForms Controls via Localizer Objects
- 6 minutes to read
DevExpress WinForms controls obtain the default text for their UI elements via Localizer objects (for instance, Data Grid uses GridLocalizer, Pivot Grid uses PivotGridLocalizer, etc). The following approaches allow you to use localizers to replace the default resources with new text:
Create a custom localizer for a specific control/library
Use the global XtraLocalizer class which allows you to provide localized text for all DevExpress .NET controls.
Note
There are controls that only satellite assemblies can translate (for example, the Search dialog in XtraReports). We recommend that you use satellite assemblies to translate the application. Also, note that satellite assemblies are ignored if you use a custom localizer.
Custom Localizers
Use custom localizers to provide localized strings as follows.
- Create a descendant of a Localizer class that corresponds to a specific control/library. Default Localizer classes are listed below.
Override the GetLocalizedString method to return localized strings for specific string resource identifiers
Alternatively, you can override the PopulateStringTable method to translate resources.
Assign an instance of your Localizer class to the static Active property of the Localizer class you inherited from.
Example
The following example demonstrates how to use localizers to translate strings into German:
This example creates localizers for the Data Grid UI and Editors UI. These localizers are GridLocalizer and Localizer class descendants.
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 the GermanGridLocalizer and GermanEditorsLocalizer classes to the GridLocalizer.Active and Localizer.Active properties, respectively.
public Form1() {
GridLocalizer.Active = new GermanGridLocalizer();
Localizer.Active = new GermanEditorsLocalizer();
InitializeComponent();
}
Default Localizers
The following table lists the default Localizer classes and corresponding resource string identifiers for DevExpress WinForms products:
XtraLocalizer
The static XtraLocalizer.QueryLocalizedString event allows you to provide localized strings for all DevExpress controls in your application. If your application uses controls from multiple libraries (for example, Data Grid, Editors, Charts, and Pivot Grid), the QueryLocalizedString event fires when these controls request localized strings.
Note
Your QueryLocalizedString event handler should be your form’s method. Otherwise, the garbage collector can collect a reference to your delegate.
Use the e.StringID event argument to identify a control’s currently processed string. This property returns a value of the control’s resource string enumeration (see the table above).
Example
The following example handles the XtraLocalizer.QueryLocalizedString event to localize specific strings for the Data Grid UI and Editors UI:
using DevExpress.Utils.Localization;
using DevExpress.XtraEditors.Controls;
using DevExpress.XtraGrid.Localization;
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) {
XtraLocalizer.QueryLocalizedString += XtraLocalizer_QueryLocalizedString;
}
private void XtraLocalizer_QueryLocalizedString(object sender, XtraLocalizer.QueryLocalizedStringEventArgs e) {
// Data Grid's UI
if (e.StringIDType == typeof(GridStringId)) {
if ((GridStringId)e.StringID == GridStringId.GridGroupPanelText)
e.Value = "Gruppenregion";
}
// Editors UI
if (e.StringIDType == typeof(StringId)) {
if ((StringId)e.StringID == StringId.PictureEditMenuCut)
e.Value = "Ausschneiden";
if ((StringId)e.StringID == StringId.PictureEditMenuCopy)
e.Value = "Kopieren";
if ((StringId)e.StringID == StringId.PictureEditMenuPaste)
e.Value = "Einfugen";
}
}