MSDN Magazine - January 2008 - (Page 69)

{ } window.alert(DisplayFunctionsResources.Greeting); Figure 2 File-Based versus Assembly-Based Localization Criterion ScriptReference Attributes Scripts can use localized resources Scripts can be localized Use with Web Application Projects Use with Web Site Projects Use with Control Libraries File-Based Path, ResourceUICultures No Yes Yes Yes Yes AssemblyBased Name, Assembly Yes No Yes No Yes DisplayFunctionsResources={ ‘Greeting’:’Bonjour Le Monde’ } This certainly improves the maintenance story because, although you still have to apply the same change to each culture, it is significantly easier to do since the top part of the file is the same for every one. Now consider a further revision. You could keep the logic in a separate common JavaScript file (such as DisplayFunctions.Common.js) and generate the localized versions from corresponding .resx files at build time using a custom build task following the same approach that the ScriptResource HTTP handler does for the assembly-based model. I have left this as an exercise for the reader. So now that you know both models, the obvious question is which one should you use? Figure 2 provides a comparison. The big benefit of the file-based model is the fact that you can easily customize the client-side logic and it can be used with Web Site Projects. On the other hand, the assembly-based model lets you easily leverage localized resources, and the JavaScript files can be embedded in an assembly. This makes the model ideal for use with control libraries. The nature of your work will probably dictate which model is best for you. As I use Visual Studio 2005 SP1 and don’t often need to customize logic for different cultures, the assembly-based model works best for me. Choosing a Localization Model Fortunately, this method already exists and is built on the filebased localization model already discussed. The ASP.NET AJAX assemblies contain English resources. If you open System.Web.Extensions.dll using Reflector (see Figure 3), you can see the JavaScript resources that are used by default. However, you can instruct the ScriptManager to use a different set of JavaScript files simply by adding a ScriptReference for the same JavaScript resource name, as you see here: Localizing the ASP.NET AJAX Framework The .NET Framework is itself available in localized versions— .NET Framework Language Packs. When installed, the .NET Framework can draw upon these language packs to expose localized resources such as error messages and dialogs. The ASP.NET AJAX framework itself draws upon resources such as error messages that must be available on the client. And while it is not possible for sources outside of Microsoft to create new .NET Framework language packs, anyone can create localized versions of the ASP.NET framework. At the present time, the ASP.NET AJAX framework is available only in English, but when it becomes part of Visual Studio 2008, localized versions of the framework will be available. However, the localization support will be limited to the subset of languages that are supported by the .NET Framework, so the chances of getting, say, a Welsh localization of the ASP.NET AJAX framework are quite small. Hence, we still need a method to localize the ASP.NET AJAX framework. Figure 3 Using Reflector to View the System.Web.Extensions.dll’s JavaScript Resources To see this in action, you need to create a new AJAX-Enabled Web Application Project, change the ScriptManager to the one shown directly above, add a folder called AjaxFramework, and copy the MicrosoftAjax.Debug.js file from the ASP.NET AJAX MicrosoftAjaxLibrary\System.Web.Extensions\1.061025.0 folder to the AjaxFramework folder. Now copy MicrosoftAjax.Debug.js to MicrosoftAjax.Debug.fr.js to create the French localization of the AJAX World Ready january2008 69

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of MSDN Magazine - January 2008

MSDN Magazine - January 2008 Contents Toolbox CLR Inside Out Data Points Advanced Basics Cutting Edge IIS 7.0 - Enhance Your Apps with the Integrated ASP.NET Pipeline World Ready - Around the World with ASP.NET AJAX Applications WCF Syndication - HTTP Programming with WCF and the .NET Framework 3.5 Wicked Code Foundations Extreme ASP.NET {End Bracket}

MSDN Magazine - January 2008

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