International Features
The Win32 API provides support for non-English development and deployment to international markets. For example, languages other than English and technical symbols are best represented using the 16-bit Unicode character set that is supported by Windows. National Language Support (NLS) functions help target an application for specific international markets. The various internal features are described in Table 14.16.
Table 14.16. National Language Support Functions
| International Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| End-User-Defined Characters (EUDC) | Provides support for customized characters that are not available in standard screen or printer fonts. EUDC includes Far Eastern language syntax, such as Japanese and Chinese. |
| Input Method Editor (IME) | Provides a collection of functions, messages, and structures used to support Unicode and double-byte character sets. IME functionality is provided by imm32.dll . |
| National Language Support | Provides support for adapting and transitioning applications to various language-specific and location-specific environments. |
| Unicode and Character Sets | Provides support for character encoding, including the Unicode standard. Character encoding, such as Unicode, enables applications to support multilingual text processing. |
Some of these capabilities such as the EUDC and IME require foreign versions of the Windows operating system. Asian versions, for example, use a totally different character set than the English version does. Software being developed for these cultures would benefit from the specific functionality provided by this API functional area. However, providing an example is not within the scope of this book.
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