Where Are We?

This chapter proposes many strategies. Your choice of strategy is determined to some extent by the technology behind your application (i.e., Windows Forms or ASP.NET, .NET Framework 1.1 or 2.0), but also by your choice of resource format. Clearly, the .NET Framework favors using resx files: WinRes 2.0 reads and writes Visual Studio File Mode resx files directly, and ASP.NET 2.0 automatically detects changes to resx files. However, other formats, such as a database, can ease the translation/localization process: Changes to a database are recognized immediately (if the resource is not cached by a ResourceManager), and there is no need to rebuild resource assemblies. The reintegration of resources returned by the translator/localizer is a critical part of the internationalization process, and consideration should be given to the fact that the application might well have changed since the resources were sent to the translator/localizer, and not all of the translator/localizer's changes will necessarily be accepted.

Where are we in terms of this book? I sincerely hope that you are standing on top of the mountain and enjoying the view.