static void

Globalization

Setting the culture

• CurrentCulture is date/numbers (ddmmyy or mmddyy; 1.5 or 1,5)
• CurrentUICulture is for looking up resources

On all string/number/date operations use the optional formatting argument (FXCop will complain if you don't). Either System.Globalization.CultureInfo.CurrentCulture or .InvariantCulture (if applicable).

See Intro (Rick Strahl); see also serverside.net and ondotnet.com

For the web, the HTTP header contains user languages (set within IE-Tools-Internet Options-Languages) which you can read in Request.UserLanguages[0] (for the first one). ASP 1: Read it (or a cookie from a user form) in Global.asax Session_Start. In ASP 2 it's automatic.

Resource Files

Use assembly linker for satellite assemblies: al /t:lib /culture:en-UK /embed:strings.en-UK.resources /out:myapp.resources.dll

Asp 2+

App_GlobalResources (Resources namespace, with intellisense) or App_LocalResources (page specific) .No more ResourceManager as in .Net 1!

• App_GlobalResources folder (normally just one .resx). Each directory has App_LocalResources with .resx for for each page (key is page name with extension- default.aspx- not the class name).
• In asp markup: implicit (Tools-Localize -adds meta:resourcekey to controls) vs explicit (<asp:Label ID="lab" runat="server" Text='<%$ Resources:lab %>' / > (globals have $Resources:classname, id format)
• In code:

  string txt1 = (string)HttpContext.GetGlobalResourceObject("GlobalResources", "MyText");
  //or (strong typed but less efficient)
  string txt2 = Resources.GlobalResources.MyText;
  //or (local)
  string txt3 = (string)HttpContext.GetLocalResourceObject("~/WebForm1.aspx", "HelloWorld");

• Use asp:Localize (like asp:Literal with a meta:resourcekey)
• Web.config globalization (and Page) culture="auto" uiCulture="auto".
  Override Page.InitializeCulture event (to read from cookie/db setting)

  protected override void InitializeCulture()
  {
      if (Request.Form["ListBox1"] != null) //controls not available
      {
          string selectedLanguage = Request.Form["ListBox1"];
          //set the page properties
          UICulture = selectedLanguage;
          Culture = selectedLanguage;
          //set the thread using CultureInfo - needs 2 different ways :(
          Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture(selectedLanguage);
          Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture = new CultureInfo(selectedLanguage);
      }
      base.InitializeCulture();
  }

• Sitemaps must be done manually: title="$Resources: SiteMap, Home"