RESX to XLS conversion for multi-language support

Resx2Xls ScreenShot

Introduction

Do you need to localize your RESX files and don't want to open them one file at a time, clean them of unused keys, localize them etc., etc.? Then Resx2Xls is for you.

Open Resx2xls. Click on "Create new Excel document...," select your Project Root and follow the wizard. Done!!
Fill your Excel file with your localized key values or just send it to your translator.
Now, do you want to create the localized RESX files from the filled Excel workbook? Open Resx2xls, click on "Generate resx files...," select your Excel file, click Next and then click Finish. Done!!
Have you updated your project after your resource files were modified/added/removed/updated? No problem. Open Resx2xls, click on "Update your Excel document...," click Next, select your Project Root and Excel document and click Finish. Done!!

Thanks go to Manish Ranjan Kumar and his WizardBase control. It has helped me to give the application a more decent style.

Background

I was frustrated with copying my project resource files created in VS 2005, cleaning them of unused keys and then localizing them one file at a time. This tool should help you to just point and click at your project and obtain an Excel file filled with all of the strings of ALL of your resource files. After compiling the XLS with the translations, I wanted to convert all of the keys back into localized RESX files. I hope this helps!

Points of interest

I've had some problems loading resources with the ResxResourceReader class. I've noticed that if you have an image resource stored in the resource file, the path of the image in the XML document is relative to the document itself, not the project. Opening from another directory, i.e. Resx2xls bin, I get a "cannot parse" path exception. This was solved by setting the BasePath property of the resource reader with the path to the RESX file.

History

25-7-2007: Article edited and posted to the main CodeProject article base
5-7-2007: Added wizard
4-7-2007: First release

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here

About the Author

Marco Roello

Web Developer

Italy

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Problem with App_LocalResources - extra files

uswebpro2

21:38 30 Sep '08

Hello,
I found this program works great with the GlobalResources, however with the App_LocalResources, it creates duplicated files for each language. If you have the same problem, check out the script below. I put it on the web form + wire it to a button click, and it deletes the extra files and keeps the ones you need. - Yes I know this is a cheap "band aid solution" but its quick and worked 4 me.

public partial class Temp_RemoveBadLocalFiles : System.Web.UI.Page
{
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{

}
protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string folder = @"C:\Users\aron\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\WebSites\TheaterSalesCorporate\App_LocalResources\";
Label1.Text = TraverseTree(folder);

}

public string TraverseTree(string root)
{
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();

// Data structure to hold names of subfolders to be
// examined for files.
Stack dirs = new Stack(20);

if (!System.IO.Directory.Exists(root))
{
throw new ArgumentException();
}
dirs.Push(root);

while (dirs.Count > 0)
{
string currentDir = dirs.Pop();
string[] subDirs;
try
{
subDirs = System.IO.Directory.GetDirectories(currentDir);
}
// An UnauthorizedAccessException exception will be thrown if we do not have
// discovery permission on a folder or file. It may or may not be acceptable
// to ignore the exception and continue enumerating the remaining files and
// folders. It is also possible (but unlikely) that a DirectoryNotFound exception
// will be raised. This will happen if currentDir has been deleted by
// another application or thread after our call to Directory.Exists. The
// choice of which exceptions to catch depends entirely on the specific task
// you are intending to perform and also on how much you know with certainty
// about the systems on which this code will run.
catch (UnauthorizedAccessException e)
{
sb.Append(e.Message);
continue;
}
catch (System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException e)
{
sb.Append(e.Message);
continue;
}

string[] files = null;
try
{
files = System.IO.Directory.GetFiles(currentDir);
}

catch (UnauthorizedAccessException e)
{

sb.Append(e.Message);
continue;
}

catch (System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException e)
{
sb.Append(e.Message);
continue;
}
// Perform the required action on each file here.
// Modify this block to perform your required task.
foreach (string file in files)
{
try
{
// Perform whatever action is required in your scenario.
System.IO.FileInfo fi = new System.IO.FileInfo(file);
if ((fi.Name.Substring(2, 1).Equals(".")) || ((fi.Name.Substring(0, 6).Equals("zh-CHS"))))
{
sb.AppendFormat("DELETED FILE: {0}: {1}, {2}
", fi.Name, fi.Length, fi.CreationTime);
fi.Delete();
}
else
{
sb.AppendFormat("GOOD FILE: {0}: {1}, {2}
", fi.Name, fi.Length, fi.CreationTime);
}
}
catch (System.IO.FileNotFoundException e)
{
// If file was deleted by a separate application
// or thread since the call to TraverseTree()
// then just continue.
sb.Append(e.Message);
continue;
}
}

// Push the subdirectories onto the stack for traversal.
// This could also be done before handing the files.
foreach (string str in subDirs)
dirs.Push(str);
}

return sb.ToString();
}

}

- aron

Fantastic!

uswebpro2

2:50 18 Aug '08

This is great! thanks It would great if the RESX comments were preserved too. That way you can help the translators see the context of the terms you have. - aron
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Ottimo lavoro...

Nicola Costantini

4:59 21 Jan '08

ho visto i sources ed intuisco che questo funziona sse è installato Office2003 o 2005 ossia quelli che danno supporto di ToolLibrary a Dot.Net. Immagino niente per versioni precedenti di Excel che usano invece l'oggetto COM vero ?
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink	1.50/5 (2 votes)

Excellent work

Ethan Huang

23:13 19 Sep '07

What you do is what I need Thank you very much
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink	2.00/5 (1 vote)

Re: Excellent work

umurlu

21:05 1 Dec '08

thanks so much for this usefull exe
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COMException: Old format or invalid type library

marco vervoort

21:18 10 Jul '07

Hi Marco,

I get an unhandled exception when running your project:
An unhandled exception of type 'System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException' occurred in Resx2Xls.exe
Additional information: Old format or invalid type library. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80028018 (TYPE_E_INVDATAREAD))

The exception raises in Resx2XlsForm.DataSetToXls in line:
Excel.Workbook wb = app.Workbooks.Add(Excel.XlWBATemplate.xlWBATWorksheet);
Perhaps an incompatibility with Office Excel? I've Excel 2003 installed.

Regards,
Marco Vervoort - Pulse Business Solutions

Re: COMException: Old format or invalid type library

Kerdal

7:18 17 Jul '07

That's a regional settings issue.
(See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320369 for more information)

There are 3 possible workarounds :

1. Manually set your regional settings to be the same than your excel's language.

2. Before using automation, switch the currentthread cultureinfo to en-us (en-us is apparently universal for automation, it works with any other language)

3. Install the Multilingual User Interface Pack for your version of Office. (see the kb article for the link)

Personally, I prefer switching the currentthread cultureinfo before using automation (and switch back once automation is complete).

Re: COMException: Old format or invalid type library

marco vervoort

21:16 17 Jul '07

Thanks, that solved the problem.
You've already written the code in file Resx2XlsForm.cs at line 32-34, but commented it out. After removing the comment tags, it worked.

Great tool Cool | :cool:

. Nice to translate the resources. It still needs some tweaking before I can use it, but it's a good starting point. Currenlty you only load the default culture, altough I already have a localized resource which is not imported into Excel. And I get an OUT_OF_MEMORY from Excel at about 240 labels. I think I have about 800 labels in my resouce file. But these are thinks I can solve by my selve :->.

You haven't imported the comment from the resource file. The default resouce reader (ResXResourceReader) doesn't load the comments. I would suggest using an XmlReader with a few more lines of code. The comment can be very valueable for translations Sniff | :^)

Regards,
Marco Vervoort - Pulse Business Solutions

Re: COMException: Old format or invalid type library

uswebpro2

2:09 18 Aug '08

I had the same error. However I did not have Office installed. I just installed Office 2003 and the error went away. - aron
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resource editor with multi language support

edwin_vermeer

2:39 10 Jul '07

ResEx is a nice resource editor with support for multiple languages. What you can do with it:

Translate values side by side (just like the old time classic VB6 resource editor)
Lock specific strings so that translator does not translate them
Restrict length of translating strings
Ensure correct translation of strings with placeholders {0} {1} ...
Warnings about shortcut characters (string containing &)
View resource strings in tree form
Translate resources without Visual Studio IDE
Search inside resource files while translating

You can find it here:
http://www.papadi.gr/projects/resex.aspx

Re: resource editor with multi language support

Marco Roello

21:36 22 Jul '07

Thanks Edwin,

I've downloaded it and I can say it's a very good tool, with a very friendly interface. But it missises one of the main purpose of my project.

The purpose of this utility (at a very early stage) is to allow a developer to produce a Single Excel document containing ALL the Resx files of your project. I don't want to open each resx file, one at a time, translate it in all languages and so on....

Marco