We always say using resource DLL files is the best solution for localization of your application, but unfortunately some older programming platforms e.g. still very popular Visual C++ don’t support it internally. However, Microsft added partially support for this solution to MFC 7 libraries. If your application use MFC 7 you could use Sisulizer to build localized resource DLLs for your application.
Generally, MFC 7 doesn’t support language switch at runtime. Your MFC application will use automatically the resource DLL which matches the Windows locale if available. But optionally you could use a custom or third party solution for implementing switching at runtime. Many Visual C++ developers don’t know they could generate resource DLL directly in Sisulizer projects based on Windows32 exe files, so I decided to write some hints related to this feature.
If you want to set up resource DLLs as output for your Sisulizer project, just select Resource DLLs option in File tab of source properties dialog and set appropriated output filename pattern matched with MFC or with your custom solution. Here is article with detailed information about output options.
MFC requires using language IDs for resources inside resource DLL e.g. for dialogs, icon resources etc. instead of neutral or original language IDs. For doing it, you need to go to the Options tab of source properties dialog. Please uncheck Keep original resource language id, and select Set the language always in the Set language of a neutral resource list.
If your application also requires for resource DLL specified info related to language in version resource, go to Resource options in source properties dialog and check appropriated options in Versions section. If your application uses MFC libraries, check  Application uses MFC library in this same tab.
If your application has many languages, resource DLLs with all duplicated resources could significantly increase size of your application. In this case you could try uncheck Copy all resources option in resource file tab of source properties dialog. Build resource DLL with checked this option, next uncheck it, build again and compare sizes. So if this streamlined DLL works with your application we recommend to use it.
Resource DLL built by Sisulizer is immediately ready to use without additional preparing. If resource DLL is matched with your locale, simply copy it to installation folder and run your application. All screenshots were made with our Visual C++ example in vcpp subfolder in our samples folder. You could use it for experimenting with all above mentioned tricks and options.
Janusz Grzybek
