Multi-Language Add-In for Visual Studio

Regarding text with placeholders.

With normal ASP.NET (aspx/aspx.cs), we actually have the same issue.. We are currently doing something like:

aspx:
< asp:Literal id="Literal1" runat="server" />

aspx:cs
Literal1.Text = string.Format("There are no external authentication services configured. See {0} for details on setting up this ASP.NET application to support logging in via external services.", string.Format("< a href=\"http\">{0}< /a>", "this article"));

Translation

• There are no external authentication services configured. See {0} for details on setting up this ASP.NET application to support logging in via external services.
• this article

Above is optimal for the translator, but not for developer. Developer would like something like:

aspx
There are no external authentication services configured. See < asp:HyperLink id="HyoerLink1" runat="server" NavigateUrl="http">this article< /asp:HyperLink> for details on setting up this ASP.NET application to support logging in via external services.

Translation

• There are no external authentication services configured. See
• this article
• for details on setting up this ASP.NET application to support logging in via external services.

Please note above yields the same results as you see with ASP.NET MVC. The difference is, we have an easy work-around with ASP.NET (putting it in code behind) - not so much with MVC, where it's less accepted to put stuff like this in e.g. Model and Controller. In MVC we would properly hack us through this by including C# code inside the view like:

cshtml
@string.Format("There are no external authentication services configured. See {0} for details on setting up this ASP.NET application to support logging in via external services.", string.Format("< a href=\"http\">{0}< /a>", "this article"));

Let me be very clear. Even though this sounds like a good solution, I tend to avoid writing C# in the view as much as possible. I want to keep it simple, so a web designer with very limited knowledge of C# can maintain the file. Even though above is very simple and basic C#, it still adds to knowledge requirement of the web designer (who should focus more on html/css/js/graphics, and not so much about how the MVC framework clues things together). Including C# in the View might be the "only" solution that would prove to work well in reality. But preferred for developer/web designer: no.

Lets get back to the ASP.NET example from the beginning.. If you are able to detect a Html.Text is actually "containing" a single html element, it might at first seems like we would be better off. But it's way more complex than one might think. Lets examine the first example once more and assume we can add a placeholder for the < asp:HyperLink> (or any other HTML element, like < a>):

aspx
There are no external authentication services configured. See < asp:HyperLink id="HyoerLink1" runat="server" NavigateUrl="http">this article< /asp:HyperLink> for details on setting up this ASP.NET application to support logging in via external services.

Translation

• There are no external authentication services configured. See {0} for details on setting up this ASP.NET application to support logging in via external services.
• this article

Now we get the best of both world. Developer is happy and Translator is happy. But... It's not that simple. We could see another example where we simply don't want it to be 1 string with a placeholder, but rather be 2 separated strings. But if above logic should be consistent, it's going to look very odd for the translator in some scenarios:

aspx
-+This is a test.
< asp:HyperLink id="HyoerLink1" runat="server" NavigateUrl="http">Click to read more< /asp:HyperLink>.
Thanks for watching this test.+-

Translation

• This is a test. {0}. Thanks for watching this test.
• Click to read more

I'm sure the translator in above scenario would prefer something else. Something like:

Translation

• This is a test
• Click to read more
• Thanks for watching this test

So even though it might seem like a simple problem to solve, it's really difficult to satisfy both developer and translator without forcing them to use either aspx.cs (ASP.NET) or inline code (ASP.NET MVC).

The best alternative solution I can come up with right now is some special "html tagging" to detect when developer want one or another scenario. Could be a convention about requiring HTML to encapsulate the text if we don't want to use a placeholder. Like:

aspx
< span>This is a test< /span>.
< asp:HyperLink id="HyoerLink1" runat="server" NavigateUrl="http">Click to read more< /asp:HyperLink>.
< span>Thanks for watching this test< /span>.

Translation

• This is a test
• Click to read more
• Thanks for watching this test

Above will force developer to add "span" elements (or other html elements). Even though span elements are most likely harmless, in theory the web designer could choose to make span less harmless. It could easily ruin the vertical alignment or something worse - and then we "ask" the web designer to take care of this "problem" instead of the developer/translator. Not sure it's any better.

On the other hand, we could add a css class to containing element, to allow/ignore placeholder logic (a lot like //MLHide). Could look like:

aspx
< div id="Content" class="MLNoPlaceHolder">
This is a test.
< asp:HyperLink id="HyoerLink1" runat="server" NavigateUrl="http">Click to read more.< /asp:HyperLink>
Thanks for watching this test.
< /div>

Translation

• This is a test.
• Click to read more.
• Thanks for watching this test.

Again: I'm not saying this is better than what the framework provides. I'm saying it's another strategy to solve your query.

I won't be the one to judge if you make a change to your logic. It makes sense to try to satisfy both developer, web designer and translator. But the way I see it, it will come at some sort of cost no matter what - and you need to ask yourself what's best: You (Jollans/ML tool) making special logic or the developer to use hacks allowed within the standard framework (either using aspx.cs or inline C# in .cshtml).

Well.. Hope you got something out of reading this. Good luck making a decision ;-)

Nick

ASP.NET MVC project not listed

Not sure I understand how ASP.NET MVC is supported. What to do?