Get values from *.resx files in XAML

Question

Is it possible to add some value from resource file right into the XAML markup? Or for localization we always have to make something like this in *.cs file:

Answer 1

Hide an other textblock and bind it's text In that textblock you'll have the resource from .cs

Answer 2

It's a lot easier to do it like this. Add a xmlns in XAML file and use the resources directly.

xmlns:resx="clr-namespace:wpfapplicationname.Properties"
Title="{x:Static resx:Resources.name}"

Answer 3

I understand my reply is a bit late, but I thought its worth sharing:

To use a string stored in the *.resx file without Static keyword:

1. In App.Xaml file add a namespace for Properties xmlns:resource="clr-namespace:YourProject.Properties"

2. In ApplicationResources(app.xaml file) Add a Resource for your *.resx file

   <Application.Resources> <resource:ResourceFileName x:Key="ApplicationStringResources" /> </Application.Resources>

3. In your XAML file use the following Binding, let us take an example of Window Title

   Title="{Binding TitleString, Source={StaticResource ResourceKey=ApplicationStringResources}}"

   TitleString is the name of StringProperty in your *.resx file

4. Last but not least, don't forget to change the resource file access modifier to Public.

Answer 4

The simplest way, where you can define the width of textbox also according to the length of text in each language.

Xaml Code

<TextBlock x:Uid="Greeting" Text="" />

Have a look at resource file:- Click View

Answer 5

The simplest way is probably to reference the items directly (they are static properties, internal by default):

<TextBlock x:Name="txtMessage" Text="{x:Static MyApp.Properties.Resource.TextString}"/>

If you are working on a localised WPF app though then I'd recommend taking a look at the guidance on CodePlex at http://wpflocalization.codeplex.com/ , and if you're building a composite app (using PRISM or MEF) then I have a blog post on a nice way to accomplish WPF localisation using standard bindings.

Answer 6

After a whole day investigation this Comment Xaml localization: Using .resx Resources in Xaml without x:static I found a simple solution to provide multilanguage support with (embedded resources or referenced assembly) *.resx - files. Since Framework 4 there is a base class called DynamicObject for specifying dynamic behavior at run time in namespace System.Dynamic.

I derived following ResourceLoader from System.Dynamic.DynamicObject - class:

public class ResourceLoader : DynamicObject
{
    #region Fields ---------------------------------------------------------------

    private const string DefaultResourcesSuffix = "Resource";
    private ResourceManager _resourceMan;
    private CultureInfo culture;
    private readonly string _defaultAssemblyName;
    private readonly Assembly _defaultAssembly;
    private Assembly theAssembly;
    private string resourcesSuffix;
    private string assembly;

    #endregion // Fields

    #region Properties -----------------------------------------------------------

    /// <summary>
    /// Gets or sets the assembly.
    /// </summary>
    public string Assembly
    {
        get { return assembly; }
        set
        {
            assembly = value;
            theAssembly = System.Reflection.Assembly.Load(assembly);
            _resourceMan = null;
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Gets or sets the resources suffix.
    /// </summary>
    public string ResourcesSuffix
    {
        get { return resourcesSuffix; }
        set
        {
            resourcesSuffix = value;
            _resourceMan = null;
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Get, set culture
    /// </summary>
    public CultureInfo CurrentCulture
    {
        get { this.culture = this.culture ?? CultureInfo.InvariantCulture; return this.culture; }
        set { this.culture = value; }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Creates new instace of <see cref="System.Resources.ResourceManager"/> at initialisation or change of <see cref="ResourceFileAccessSample.ResourceBinding.ResourceLoader.Assembly"/>.
    /// </summary>
    private ResourceManager ResourceManager
    {
        get
        {
            if (ReferenceEquals(_resourceMan, null))
            {
                ResourceManager temp = new ResourceManager(
                    string.Format("{0}.{1}", Assembly ?? _defaultAssemblyName, ResourcesSuffix ?? DefaultResourcesSuffix),
                    theAssembly ?? _defaultAssembly);
                _resourceMan = temp;
            }
            return _resourceMan;
        }
    }

    #endregion // Properties

    #region Methods --------------------------------------------------------------

    private object GetResource(string name, CultureInfo language)
    {
        if (language == null || language == CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)
            return ResourceManager.GetObject(name);
        return ResourceManager.GetObject(name, language);
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Provides the implementation for operations that get member values. Classes derived from the <see cref="T:System.Dynamic.DynamicObject"/> class can override this method to specify dynamic behavior for operations such as getting a value for a property.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="binder">Provides information about the object that called the dynamic operation. The binder.Name property provides the name of the member on which the dynamic operation is performed. For example, for the Console.WriteLine(sampleObject.SampleProperty) statement, where sampleObject is an instance of the class derived from the <see cref="T:System.Dynamic.DynamicObject"/> class, binder.Name returns "SampleProperty". The binder.IgnoreCase property specifies whether the member name is case-sensitive.</param>
    /// <param name="result">The result of the get operation. For example, if the method is called for a property, you can assign the property value to <paramref name="result"/>.</param>
    /// <returns>
    /// true if the operation is successful; otherwise, false. If this method returns false, the run-time binder of the language determines the behavior. (In most cases, a run-time exception is thrown.)
    /// </returns>
    public override bool TryGetMember(GetMemberBinder binder, out object result)
    {
        result = GetResource(binder.Name, this.culture);

        if (result != null && result.GetType() == typeof(System.Drawing.Bitmap))
        {
            System.Drawing.Bitmap currentBmp = result as System.Drawing.Bitmap;
            currentBmp.MakeTransparent(System.Drawing.Color.Magenta);
            BitmapSource src = Imaging.CreateBitmapSourceFromHBitmap(currentBmp.GetHbitmap(), IntPtr.Zero, Int32Rect.Empty, BitmapSizeOptions.FromEmptyOptions());
            result = src;
        }
        return result == null ? false : true;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Switch set culture
    /// </summary>
    public void SwitchCulture(CultureInfo NewCulture)
    {
        this.culture = NewCulture;
    }
    #endregion // Methods

    #region Constructors ---------------------------------------------------------

    /// <summary>
    /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="ResourceLoader"/> class.
    /// </summary>
    public ResourceLoader()
        : this(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, DefaultResourcesSuffix)
    { }

    /// <summary>
    /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="ResourceLoader"/> class.
    /// </summary>
    public ResourceLoader(CultureInfo InitCulture, string ResourceSuffix)
    {
        _defaultAssemblyName = GetType().Assembly.GetName().Name;
        _defaultAssembly = GetType().Assembly;
        this.culture = InitCulture;
        this.resourcesSuffix = ResourceSuffix;
    }

    #endregion // Constructors
}

You can create instance within xaml like this:

<Application x:Class="ResourceFileAccessSample.App"
         xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
         xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"           
         xmlns:src="clr-namespace:ResourceFileAccessSample.ResourceBinding"             
         StartupUri="Window1.xaml" Startup="Application_Startup" >

<Application.Resources>
    <src:ResourceLoader x:Key="resource" CurrentCulture="(Default)" ResourcesSuffix="Resource"   />
</Application.Resources>

C# code:

    /// <summary>
/// Interaction logic for Window1.xaml
/// </summary>
public partial class Window1 : Window
{
    private ResourceLoader res;
    public Window1()
    {            
        InitializeComponent();
        // load it from WPF Resources 
        this.res = (ResourceLoader)this.FindResource("resource");
        // or create an instance 
        //this.res = new ResourceLoader(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, "Resource");      
        this.LayoutRoot.DataContext = res;                    
    }

    private void btnSwichLanguage_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {            
        res.SwitchCulture(new CultureInfo("de"));               
        this.LayoutRoot.DataContext = null;
        this.LayoutRoot.DataContext = res;                      
    }       
}

Now it is possible to bind strings and images (images will be converted into WPF compilant BitmapSource:

    <StackPanel Name="LayoutRoot" Orientation="Vertical">
    <Label Name="lblText" Content="{Binding Path=rsName, Mode=OneWay}" HorizontalContentAlignment="Center" Margin="5" Padding="0" />
    <Image Source="{Binding Path=AlignObjectsTop}" Height="16" Width="16" Margin="5" />
    <Button Name="btnSwichLanguage" Content="Switch to de" Click="btnSwichLanguage_Click" MinHeight="25" Width="100" />

</StackPanel>