Automating Localization with RLMAN

The Resource Localization Manager (RLMAN) was designed to automate localization of products that make use of the Windows resource model. You can extract resources directly from the applications that use them, modify the resources, and use the modified resources to create localized versions of the original applications. This allows you to localize your product without recompilation, and share glossaries of common terms among your applications.

When resource files are localized as they are developed, they may change after you have already begun translation. RLMAN uses update tracking to allow you to update the localized file without losing any work that you have already done. Any resources that have changed since your most recent update are marked, and the change is tracked so you can see what has changed and exactly how it changed. RLMAN uses a master token file to track changes and update token files for each target language. These token files are used to generate the target resource files.

The RLMAN command-line syntax is as follows:

rlman [-c RDFile] [-p CodePage] [-f ResType] [-{n|o} PriLang SubLang] [-w] [-x] -{e|t|m|l|r|a} files

-c RDFile

Use custom resources defined in the resource description file RDFile.

-p CodePage

The code page used in the conversion. The default is the Windows ANSI code page.

-f ResType

Extract a single resource type, defined by the resource type ResType.

-n PriLang SubLang

Specifies the language of the tokens in the token file. Used when setting up a new language project (-l) and with the -r and -a switches

-o PriLang SubLang

Specifies the language of the resources being replaced, or extracted from the resource file.

-w

Print warnings about unknown custom resource types.

-x

Use the extended token file format.

-e InputExeFile OutputResFile

Extract resources from the source file (.EXE, .DLL, .CPL, and so forth) InputExeFile, and create a resource file OutputResFile.

-t InputResOrExeFile OutputTokenFile

Extract the resources from InputResOrExeFile and create a project token file OutputTokenFile. This option circumvents the history-keeping mechanism. It is intended to simply view the resources or for one-time localization.

-m MasterProjectFile [InputResOrExeFile MasterTokenFile]

If the MasterProjectFile does not exist, InputResOrExeFile and MasterTokenFile must be provided.

-l LanguageProjectFile [MasterProjectFile LanguageTokenFile]

Create a new localization project or update an existing one. If LanguageProjectFile does not exist, you must provide the MasterProjectFIle (created with -m) and LanguageTokenFile.

-r InputResOrExeFile LanguageTokenFileOrResFile OutputResOrExeFile

The resources in InputResOrExeFile are replaced with the localized resource in LanguageTokenFileOrResFile. OutputResOrExeFile is the localized version. If LanguageTokenFileOrResFile is a token file, use -o to specify the old language and -n to specify the new language.

-a InputResOrExeFile LanguageTokenFileOrResFile OutputResOrExeFile

The resource in the resulting OutputResOrExeFile includes the original resource from InputResOrExeFile, plus the localized resources in LanguageTokenFileOrResFile. If LanguageTokenFileOrResFile is a token file, use -n to specify the new language.

For more information, see the help file RLMAN.HLP included with the Resource Localization Manager.