Language selection by user

[juannoguera]

I have an application that has all string resources in two languages.
So far, if the language use is set by the handset's language configuration.
I want to allow the user to change language without changing the handset's language settings. Instead, when the app starts the user will be asked to select one of the languages available.

Can this be done with the same language resource files (.l01, .l04, etc) that I already have? (How?)

[chenziteng]

Hi,

I have a solution to let user select the perferred language during application startup, but it is not perfect.

Step 1: At the very beginning of the application startup we show a global list query to offer a list of supported languages for the user, and then we remember the user choice in some way.

// begin by chen
...
#include <badesca.h>
#include <akngloballistquery.h>
#include <e32property.h>

void MainL()
	{
	_LIT(KPhoneLanugage, "Phone language");
	_LIT(KEnglish, "English");
	_LIT(KChinese, "Chinese");
	CDesCArray* array = new(ELeave) CDesCArrayFlat(5);
	CleanupStack::PushL(array);
	array->AppendL(KPhoneLanugage);
	array->AppendL(KEnglish);
	array->AppendL(KChinese);
	// the application framework has not be created yet so we the notifier service to show the list
	CAknGlobalListQuery* query = CAknGlobalListQuery::NewLC(); 
	TRequestStatus status = KRequestPending;
	query->ShowListQueryL(array, status);
	User::WaitForRequest(status);
	TInt ret = status.Int();
	if(ret>=0)
		{
                // ret is the index of the user selected item
                // here we map the user selection to a language code
		TLanguage language = ELangEnglish;
		switch(ret)
			{
			case 0:
				{
				language = User::Language();
				break;
				}
			case 1:
				{
				language = ELangEnglish;
				break;
				}
			case 2:
				{
				language = ELangPrcChinese;
				break;
				}
			default:
				{
				language = User::Language();
				break;
				}
			}
		// here we define a property to hold the user selection, but this is definitely not the only way, for example you can also save it to a file.
		RProperty::Define(KUidUrzpvtchApplication, 0, RProperty::EInt);
		RProperty::Set(KUidUrzpvtchApplication, 0, (TInt)language);
		}
	CleanupStack::PopAndDestroy(2, array);
	}

GLDEF_C TInt E32Main()
	{
// begin by chen
// at this stage we have to create the cleanup stack by ourself
	// Cleanup stack needed
	CTrapCleanup* cleanup = CTrapCleanup::New();
	if(cleanup)
		{
		TRAPD(err, MainL());
		if(err != KErrNone)
			{
			_LIT(KUserPanic,"Failed to start");	
			User::Panic(KUserPanic, err);
			}
		delete cleanup;
		}
// end by chen
	return EikStart::RunApplication( NewApplication );
	}

Step 2: During application framework initialization we replace the default resource file with the one selected by the user

The application's resource file can be changed from the default by overriding ResourceFileName(), see below.

#include <coeutils.h>
...
TFileName CUrzpvtchApplication::ResourceFileName() const
	{
	TFileName filename = CAknApplication::ResourceFileName();
	TInt language = 0;
	TInt err = RProperty::Get(KUidUrzpvtchApplication, 0, language);
	if(err==KErrNone)
		{
		TFileName fn = filename;
		_LIT(KExtFormat, "r%d");
		TBuf<16> buf;
		buf.Format(KExtFormat, language);
		if(buf.Length()<=2) // for example "r1"
			{
			_LIT(KZero, "0");
			buf.Insert(1, KZero); // now should be "r01"
			}
		TInt pos = fn.LocateReverse('.');
		fn.SetLength(pos+1); // remove the extention
		fn.Append(buf); // add new extention
		// make sure that the filename actually exists, or there will be a User 23 panic
		TBool exists = ConeUtils::FileExists(fn);
		if(exists)
			{
			filename=fn;
			}
		}
	return filename;
	}

Note:
1. The title will not be changed because it is defined in _reg.rsc, so you have to update it programically according to the user selection.
2. The system-wide strings like CBA "Options" will not be changed because they are defined in the S60 system resource file instead of the application's resource file.

Regards

Ziteng Chen

[juannoguera]

Thank you Ziteng Chen,

Actually, the language selection in my app is not only limited to when the app starts.
I have tried what is explained in http://wiki.forum.nokia.com/index.ph...rt_at_run_time but it does not work on 6210 Navigator.
I tried also with the app in http://www.newlc.com/Change-the-appl...nguage-at.html but get the same result. It does not work.
Has anyone tried these solutions and got them working?

[wizard_hu_]

The Wiki article seems to be what I was going to suggest. However it is using CompleteWithAppPath with a filename, which works for S60 1st and 2nd editions only.
For S60 3rd edition you need to specify the path yourself, because the .exe and the .rxx files reside in different directories.
Try

_LIT(KResourceFileName, "\resource\apps\LangFile.r%02d");

and you also have to modify KEmulatorPath, just I do not see its definition.

[juannoguera]

I specify the languages paths as you say, but I get the same results.
Actually, I am bit suspicious because

iLangFileOffset = CEikonEnv::Static()->AddResourceFileL(KLynxBackupEnLangFile); // KLynxBackupEnLangFile = C:\\resource\\apps\\LynxBackup.r01

returns iLangFileOffset = 1043755008 . Does not look like a normal offset value, is it?

I checked that C:\\resource\\apps\\LynxBackup.r01 exist on the phone and has the expected content. So it is not a problem with the r0x files themselves.

[juannoguera]

Since I can't get the solution in the WIKI (mentioned below) to work in my app, I am trying a different approach. I open the resource file and implement a function to read the resources. Just did a small attempt with the following code (and some variants of it) to try to read TBUF resources:

//  In .rssi file
RESOURCE TBUF r_initialtext_body 	{ buf=STR_initialtext_body; }

//  In .l01 file
#define STR_initialtext_body	"PLEASE, MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTACTS IN THE SIM CARD PHONEBOOK ARE COPIED TO YOUR PHONE'S PHONEBOOK BEFORE PROCEEDING."

//  In .c++

RResourceFile 	rf;
RFs	        fs;

User::LeaveIfError(fs.Connect());
rf.OpenL(fs, KLynxBackupEnLangFile);
rf.ConfirmSignatureL();
TInt offset = rf.Offset();
HBufC8* res = rf.AllocReadLC(R_INITIALTEXT_BODY);
TResourceReader rr;
rr.SetBuffer(res);
TPtrC buffer = rr.ReadTPtrC();
CleanupStack::PopAndDestroy(res);
rf.Close();
fs.Close();

after red line, buffer = "LEASE, MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTACTS IN THE SIM CARD PHONEBOOK ARE COPIED TO YOUR "

What seems to be happening is that P (=80) is taken as the length instead of a character, and resulting buffer.Length() = 80.

How can I read TBUF resources from rf above?

[wizard_hu_]

iLangFileOffset = CEikonEnv::Static()->AddResourceFileL(KLynxBackupEnLangFile); // KLynxBackupEnLangFile = C:\\resource\\apps\\LynxBackup.r01

returns iLangFileOffset = 1043755008 . Does not look like a normal offset value, is it?

Yes it does, why not? Just switch it to hexadecimal (3E367000), and compare it to the number of your first resource in the .rsg file. Then you can decide if it makes sense or not...

What seems to be happening is that P (=80) is taken as the length instead of a character, and resulting buffer.Length() = 80.

The description of ReadTPtrC also suggest that...

How can I read TBUF resources from rf above?

Note that the SDK contains Examples\SysLibs\ResourceFiles, consider checking those examples.

[juannoguera]

Checked the examples, but none of them seem to contain a TBUF as resource.
They do not should how to read a TBUF resource.

Has anyone read a TBUF resource using code similar to my previous post?, how did you do it?

[wizard_hu_]

Although it is not an answer to the question itself, you can try StringLoader instead.