CLIENT-side l10n support

[SchlauKunde]

Since this is my first posting into Your SmartClient forum, I say "Hello to Everyone" first !

I have read the topic "Internationalization and Localization (i18n,l10n)" in the docs; and have the impression that SmartClient has NO CLIENT-side support for l10n. Is this correct, or am I missing something ?

E.g. a mechanism for switching the language of the WHOLE UI at runtime in the client in one step would be fine :-)

Tschüss

Kai

[Isomorphic]

Hello Kai,

Generally switching language is done via reloading the page, since the user tends to select their choice of language once ever, hence server-side localization is still appropriate. Does it happen more often in your application?

[SchlauKunde]

I would like at least have the potential to do runtime language switching on the
client... A couple other Ajax frameworks have already CLIENT-side support for
l10n. I understand that l10n may not COMPLETELY be done on the CLIENT-side, but many aspects of it can be. So will that come in SmartClient, too ?

[Isomorphic]

Hello Kai,

Given that you can change component defaults at any time via calling Class.addProperties(), and you can create components or entire screens of components at any time, you can switch language via just loading a different locale file and recreating the UI. But, as you say, complete client-side language switching isn't really possible, as the browser makes assumptions about charsets, among other things.

SmartClient applications are in use in almost all of the world's 194 countries and this has never come up. Is this something that's a requirement for an application your building, or is it just a neat demo?

[SchlauKunde]

I have not intended to "just play around with neat demos", but my aim is to launch commercial web apps/sites - in particular a gaming site run by myself. Builtin i18n is a MUST, in order to allow powerful l10n later on. And if a l10n key-based mechanism was provided on the CLIENT-side out of the box, that would allow more seamless and powerful l10n IMO. Maybe customers of Yours have already developed their own, home-grown, client-side l10n capabilities ? As of now I just want to get clarification for evaluation purposes; in order to figure out if SmartClient's i18n approach is sufficient for me, I have to play around with it. Equipped with the knowledge given in Your docs and this thread.

[Isomorphic]

Hello Kai,

No, our customers do not have home-grown client-side i10n systems, they use SmartClient exactly as described in the docs. I think you will find, when you get a little deeper into the problem, either that client-side i10n doesn't make much sense, or that what SmartClient provides is actually what you meant by client-side i10n. Good luck.