Creating Localized String Dictionaries

To localize strings for objects that display at run time, such as dialog boxes, add custom entries to a string dictionary file and use the Get Localized String node to retrieve the strings programmatically.

Before you can localize objects that display at run time, generate a string dictionary file using Export strings, create a copy of the string dictionary file, and save it in a new folder that indicates the language of the string dictionary file. You must save the new folder within the project folder in the same location as the original dictionary folder and name the new folder using standard Microsoft locale names, such as en-US or zh-CN. Export strings overwrites any existing dictionary in the folder for the default language of the editor. If you want to preserve an existing dictionary, save a copy of the existing dictionary file in a separate location. You can also create your own string dictionary file which contains entries for each string you want to localize, but this file must follow the same syntax and file extension as the dictionaries that Export strings generates.

1. Open the string dictionary file you want to edit with a text editor.
2. Add a key to the string dictionary file. You can specify any name for the key, but any new entries you add to the dictionary file must use the same syntax as the entries automatically generated by Export strings.
3. Add the localized text you want the object to display within the <loc> element. If you want to localize the text "Good Morning!" to German, for example, make your new entry look similar to the following example: <entry key="New_Key_Name"> <loc>[de-DE] Guten Morgen!</loc> </entry> Repeat this process for each string you want to localize.
4. Save the dictionary file.
5. Add the Get Localized String node to the diagram.
6. Right-click the key input and select Create constant. Enter the key name you added to the dictionary file. For the above example, enter New_Key_Name.
7. Right-click the fallback input and select Create constant. Enter text in this constant that you want to display if the Get Localized String node cannot locate the key you specify in key.
8. Right-click the base path input and enter the file path to the application you want to localize.
9. Wire the localized string output to the object you want to localize. For example, if you want to localize the string in a dialog box, wire this output to the message input of a dialog box node.
10. Run the application. The application now displays the localized string(s).
    

    Note

    The application determines which dictionary to retrieve keys from based on the language you define in the editor preferences. You must have the editor set to the desired language, or the application does not display the localized strings.

You have now created a localized string dictionary for your code. If you created a library, consider optimizing its performance before packaging your library. If you created an application, build it into an executable.