Localizability

To make your software localizable 3

1. Isolate all UI elements
   
   
2. Be sure UI elements are not:

• hidden
  
  
• overlapping
  
  
• part of sentences

1. Use dynamic buffers to allow maximum buffer size
   
   
2. Document string usage
   
   
3. Be sure strings are not:

• built at run time
  
  
• concatenated
  
  
• built by stripping out characters

1. Do not use string substitution unless absolutely necessary
   
   
2. Use FormatMessage for strings that have several arguments
   
   
3. Do not build sentences at runtime
   
   
4. Avoid gender dependencies
   
   
5. Be sure icons or bitmaps do not contain text

• Be sure Resource IDs are:
  
  
• constant throughout all language editions
  
  
• unique in a file
  
  
• the same across platforms

1. Be sure resources are:

• standard Windows resources
  
  
• categorized

1. Allow for forty percent (40%) growth of resources
   
   
2. Be sure the .RC file does not contain items that cannot be
   localized