I think an out of the box, native solution for XML reading and writing would
be huge for VC++. I know we can use mixed mode and use XMLReader and
I built a resource localization system from scratch using another
standard:
XML. It allows localizers to edit standard XML files
There is no such thing as "standard XML file"
XML is a meta-format, it tells you how to create a format.
There is no localization tool that handles "standard XML file"
It allows localizers to edit standard XML files and see the results
immediately in the application without waiting for the resources to be
built
with proprietary resource compiler tools and a complex build system.
They don't care about that.
People don't understand how localization work, beyond the small shop
where a student comes and does some translation (that's not localization).
There are now dedicated localization tools, that can handle all standard
formats (including .rc). They give you instant preview of the English
and translated dialogs and menus. They can do a lot of stuff.
You come with a proprietary format, you break all that.
Why would I want to install a crappy alpha version of your software
on my machine, and search for the right string or dialog in an
application with 200 dialogs, when I can have it in my localization
tool, at the tip of my finger?
Imagine this: let's replace the .rc format with some XML that you
edit by hand, is loaded at runtime, and you can see in the
running application your what you did.
Would you like that? No, because you have a resource editor!
With wysiwyg capabilities. And you don't have to search for the dialog,
you are there.
Localization is a serious business. Having someone to translate in
Notepad is like contracting a student to to program C++ in Notepad.
Translators are professionals, just speaking a language is not enough.
So no, it's a bad idea, pushed by people who don't understand how things
work in the localization *industry*
--
Mihai Nita [Microsoft MVP, Visual C++]
http://www.mihai-nita.net
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