【项目设计、定义文档】AC Language Builder Definition

AC Language Builder Definition

© Copyright by Alva Chien
Created: 11.10.2006

Document Version history

Version	Date	Author	Comment
1.0	17.10.2006	Alva Chien	Beta version

Target

The target of the AC Language Builder is to build an application which can easily build the multi-language string components.
Multi-Language string components used the Microsoft.Net satellite components solution, that is, a centre component contains a default culture, while the satellites components deployed in the defined location, when the culture of component has been changed, and the FCL automatically load the responsible component.
Concerning AC Language solution, I just put the string operation into a separate component, and reckon this component as the language centre one binding the default culture – English string, all other components only contain string information.

Framework

The system based on the text files. The AC language builder read the text files, modifies them, and then save it. As a special flow, a batch file will be run to build the satellite components.
So, there comes several requirement of the system:
I. System uses a self-defined file to contain the location path of text files and other options, just like the file menu does.
II. System must validate the text file before it input that means, the satellite components must contain at least all the IDs which default components have.
III. It is allowed to add, edit, and delete on the default culture and the system automatically process the other satellite components.
IV. System should allow the user to create a new language.
V. System should allow the user delete a new language.
VI. System allows user to enable create the bat file also, this option make it possible that change the output text files directly.

Technical issues

I decided to use Microsoft.Net as the develop platform, C# language as the main program language, Visual Studio 2005 or Visual C# express version as the tool.
The application also divided into two layers: UI layer, Base layer.
Base layer handle the text file read/write, validation, logical implement issues, while the UI layer handle the user input.

Namespaces

The namespaces is AlvaChien.LanguageBuilder. And the classes for data structure have been included in AlvaChien.LanguageBuilder.Objects.

Classes

o ACLangString: Responsible for a single string, language independence, include two members: key and value. But the key which will write into result text file will use its parent full name. For example, string ‘String1’ be included under group ‘Group1’ which full name is ‘Root.Group1’, thus, the string’s key is ‘Root.Group1.String1’, it is actual file contains in the result file.
o ACLangGroupCore: Abstract Class, responsible for a core string group, language independence, include group name, parent group name, comments.
o ACLangGroupSimple: Responsible for a string group with the key information, inherited from ACLangGroupCore. The new key list contains all key of the strings. The class only used in information class.
o ACLangGroup: Responsible for a real string group, inherited from ACLangGroupCore, also language independence, include four members: string array, group name, parent group name, comment.
§ The group name must be unique among the children of its parent group.
§ The root of the group hierarchy using ‘Root’ as default name.
§ The class supports a method to get full name. For example, a group is a root group, and its name is ‘Group1’, so, its full name will be ‘Root.Group1’, and if this group has a children group which named ‘Group2’, this children group will get a full name ‘Root.Group1.Group2’.
§ Comment is free to use, mainly to contain other helpful information.
§ For performance issue, string array using ‘SortedDictionary’ as its generic class container, the key using the string item’s key directly.
o ACLangLanguage: Responsible for a language, depend on a special language, its member including: a group hierarchy, language info, it using ‘List’ as a container to store the group.
o ACLangInfo: an information class, responsible for an open project, which contains main logical solutions, it contains language array, default culture, file names, group hierarchy. The language array using ‘SortedList’ as container. The group hierarchy stored in the information class is ACLangGroupSingle, a full tree, but without content.
o ACLangService: a service class, which handle all the application options. Currently, it only supports one information class at the same time.
o ACLangFile: handle over the I/O part of self-defined data file.
o ACLangStringListItem: An assistant class, to contain a string information, but it also contains the language and group information. All the members are public.
o ACLangBuilderCfg: A class used to contain the configuration information, including the data files I/O.

Forms

l Main Form: The main form contains main part of the UI layer.
l New Language: A dialog used to add a new language to current project.
l Manage Language: A dialog used to manage current languages in project.
l New Group: A dialog used to add a new group.
l Groups: A dialog used to manage groups in project.
l New String: A dialog used to add a new string.
l Strings: A dialog used to manage the strings.
l Change name: Change a object, with validation, it can be used in Group rename and string id rename.
l New String Value: A form only used to edit a string value under a special language environment.
l Options Form: A from used to contain the options, allows user change, save the options, the option file is saved under the same folder as the application.
l Generator Form: A from let use select or create a new group before the selected category objects generated.

Configure File

The configuration file contains the options information for current application. It stores the CSharp Complier path, Assembly Linker path, Resource Generator path. All those options used in the compilation.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<Root>
<CSharp>C:/Program Files/Visual Studio/SDK</CSharp>
<AssemblyLinker>C:/Program Files/Visual Studio/SDK</AssemblyLinker>
<ResourceGenerater>C:/Program Files/Visual Studio/SDK</ResourceGenerater>
</Root>

Project file

The data file is xml-formatted; contains the text file name and other information which are required.
Here comes a sample:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<Root DefaultLang="zh-CHS">
<Group Name="Root" Parent="" />
<Group Name="Language" Parent="Root">
<StringID>Chinese</StringID>
<StringID>English</StringID>
<StringID>German</StringID>
</Group>
<Group Name="ACProducts" Parent="Global" />
<Group Name="ACLangBuilder" Parent="ACProducts">
<StringID>LangBuilder</StringID>
</Group>
<Language>
<Name>en</Name>
<DisplayName>English</DisplayName>
</Language>
<Language>
<Name>ja</Name>
<DisplayName>Japanese</DisplayName>
</Language>
<Language>
<Name>zh-CHS</Name>
<DisplayName>Chinese (Simplified)</DisplayName>
</Language>
<Language>
<Name>zh-CHT</Name>
<DisplayName>Chinese (Traditional)</DisplayName>
</Language>
</Root>

Business Logic

Initialize

When the application started, all the contents are empty. There is a default group in the group hierarchy.

Open File

Open a new data file. Before opening dialog is shown, the system check the current context, if modify flag has been set, it will cause save dialog occurred first. And, after opening file has been selected, the system would validation the file.

Save File

System first check the modify flag, if it is set, but the folder information is missed, a folder selection dialog will shown for user. It will build the project file and actual output files both. And, if the output files are created successfully, it will cause another process – Compilation.

New Language

Add a new language into the current project. An option is copy from an existed language. If an existed language is selected as source language, the group hierarchy will be copied into the new language. However, if non-existed language has been selected, the hierarchy in the information will be copied into the new language context, and all the string content will be set with the key value.

Languages

Manage all languages which available in current project. Including creating a new language, delete an existed language, or specify a language to the default language. Note: If the default language has been changed, the output assembly DLL will be quite differently. Any modification in this form will cause the main frame refresh its context.

New Group

Add a new group into the current project. It should be added into the entire existed language context, and will be added into the group hierarchy in the information class. Key Point: The group name must be unique, even our project used the group hierarchy. After successfully added, the main frame will refresh automatically.

Groups

Manage the entire group hierarchy, including create a new group, delete an existed group or rename an existed group, the main frame will be refreshed if the groups have been.

New String

Add a new string. A string will be added into all the language, and the group hierarchy in the information class also been updated. It is also allowed for user to specify all strings for the languages which existed in current system.

Delete String

Delete the special string, it will all deleted from all the language, and the group hierarchy in information class also been updated.

Generate Language Names

Generate all language names depend on current platform, specify a group name, if the group is existed, it will be deleted before action.

Generate Country Names

Generate all country names depend on current platform, specify a group name, if the group is existed, it will be deleted before action..

Generate Currency Names

Generate all currency names depend on current platform, specify a group name, if the group is existed, it will be deleted before action.

Compilation

Compilation depend on the output text files and the language lists, first all, it create all sub-folder to contain the binary file, it according the satellites assembly rule, each folder responsible for each language, besides the default one. And then, it uses the tools to compile the text file to generator binary files. Then, it is!

Options

Options is independence with current project, all the options will applied to all projects. It includes specify the path of CSharp Compiler, Assembly Linker, Resource Generator, save a bat file or not.

Others

End.