The document discusses localization best practices for Windows Phone apps. It covers topics like general localization best practices, differences between resources in Windows Phone 8 vs 8.1, the Multilingual App Toolkit, and using unique identifiers to access localized resources. The presentation includes demos of how to work with localized resources in both Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 projects. It also discusses using the "qps-ploc" pseudo language for testing localization and how the resource system supports localization in universal Windows apps.

1. Your app on every
Windows Phone 8.1 device
in the world
20/10/2014

2. Who am I?
20/10/2014
Bart Lannoeye
@bartlannoeye
• MADN Board Member
• Microsoft MEET Member
• Full-time Win8 dev

3. • General localization best practices
• Resources in WP8 vs WP8.1 RT
• Multilingual App Toolkit
• But we can do more !
• Universal Apps
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Agenda

4. • Sentences instead of single words
• The {0} could not be synchronized.
• Be aware of word order, or 1 vs multiple word parts
• Provide enough space
• Hint: English + 40%
• Tip: test with ‘qps-ploc’
• Multiline, text wrapping, trimming
• Watch out with re-use
• ‘Text’ can be noun & verb
• Use unique identifiers to access resources, as resource can
change
• Stick to a localization approach
• Easiest: keep translations till last
• Complexity: self-translated, outsourced, automated, …
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Localization best practices

5. Windows Phone 8 (SL) Windows Phone 8.1 RT
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Project setup

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Demo

7. Windows Phone 8 (SL) Windows Phone 8.1 RT
.resx files don’t update ! .xlf files update on rebuild
machine generated translations
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Project setup

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Demo

9. Windows Phone 8 (SL)
• Generated class with
classname = resources file
• MyClass with public prop to
expose the generated class
• App.xaml: declare MyClass in
Application.Resources
• Text="{Binding
Path=MyResources.Title,
Source={StaticResource
LocalizedStrings}}"
• Adding a new resources file
‘Inconsistent accessibility’
• Fix: use
PublicResXFileCodeGenerato
r
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Resources in XAML (1)

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Demo

11. Windows Phone 8 (SL) Windows Phone 8.1 RT
• Generated class with
classname = resources file
• MyClass with public prop to
expose the generated class
• App.xaml: declare MyClass in
Application.Resources
• Text="{Binding
Path=MyResources.Title,
Source={StaticResource
LocalizedStrings}}"
• <TextBlock x:Uid=“MyText” />
• In resource file:
MyText.Text SomeText
• Blackbox magic done for you
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Resources in XAML (2)

12. Windows Phone 8 (SL) Windows Phone 8.1 RT
• Generated class with
classname = resources file
• Every resource is a static
property
• string text =
AppResources.SomeText
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Resources in C#

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Demo

14. Windows Phone 8 (SL) Windows Phone 8.1 RT
• Generated class with
classname = resources file
• Every resource is a static
property
• string text =
AppResources.SomeText
• new ResourceLoader()
or
ResourceLoader
.GetForCurrentView()
• string text =
_loader.GetString(key);
• MyUid.Text -> MyUid/Text
• Use id in ctor / GetFCV() to
access a given resource file
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Resources in C#

15. • Download MAT:
https://dev.windows.com/en-us/develop/multilingual-app-toolkit
• Integrated with Visual Studio
• Microsoft Language Portal integration
• Localization from actual Microsoft Products (e.g. Office)
• Machine Translator integration
• Dedicated translator UI
• XLIFF files: localization industry standard
• Export – import files to send to 3rd party (xliff – csv)
• Warning for updates, preventing accidental overwrites
• Provides pseudo (qps-ploc) for testing
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Multilingual App Toolkit
MAT v4 Tech Preview: support for Xamarin

16. • Machine generated for testing purposes
• Contains special characters and provides longer strings
• Some value [7B769][!!_Śóмé νàļúé_!!]
• Windows 8 / 8.1
• Add qps-ploc to your language preferences and place it on top of the list
• Windows Phone 8.1 RT
• Only available in code, not a selectable system language
ApplicationLanguages.PrimaryLanguageOverride = "qps-ploc";
Note: PrimaryLanguageOverride can also be used in Win8 to change at runtime
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Pseudo (qps-ploc)

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Demo

18. • Use resource system for most dependency properties
• Use resource system for different scaling factors
• Resource.scale-140.resw
• Image.scale-140.png
• Application name & other Appxmanifest properties
• ms-resource:AppName
• Offload resources to a separate assembly: specify path as Id
• new
ResourceLoader("App1.SomeResources/Resources").GetString("MyString");
• <TextBlock x:Uid="/App1.SomeResources/Resources/SomeControl" />
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But we can do more !

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Demo

20. • ‘Visual layer to increase tooling support over linked files’
• If:
• Resources work on Windows 8 / 8.1
• Resources work on Windows Phone 8.1 RT
• Universal Apps is ‘just linked files’
• Then the resources system works in Universal Apps as well (*)
• (*) Remarks:
• MAT only on Windows / Windows Phone project, not on Shared
• Use export – import to prevent translating twice
• Want .xliff files on 1 place? Use a PCL instead
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Next step: Universal Apps

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Demo

22. 20/10/2014

23. Keep in touch
Bart Lannoeye
@bartlannoeye
20/10/2014
www.madn.be
@MADNbe