How to embed multilanguage *.resx (or *.resources) files in single EXE?

Question

There are plenty of tutorials how to create multilanguage RESX files and how to create satellite assemblies with AL.exe, but I haven't found working example how to embed RESX/Resources/satellite-DLL files in single EXE file and distribute whole multilanguage app as such EXE.

I tried to use ilmerge.exe, but it looks like it doesn't work for multiple DLLs with the same name (culture satellite DLLs have identical names, originally residing in different subdirs named after culture).

I also don't know how to create ResourceManager instance to work with embedded resources.

My goals is to enable dynamical switching between closed, pre-defined set of languages. I need class/method which will get culture string (i.e. "de-DE"), resource name (i.e. "CancelText") and return translated text based on embedded resx/resource/dll.

I'm using VS2008, please note what setting for "build action" is needed in resx/resource files properties sheet. Working code sample or link to tutorial project would be the best.

Answer 1

My solution: program contains only one default language resource file (resx). All other languages are compiled from .resx to .resources and embedded as resource file. Important! I have changed extension because ".resources" is recognized as a special type of resource, so my French files is named "PIAE.LangResources.fr".

Here is simple code to retrieve translated string (it should be improved with caching values from resource):

    internal static string GetString(string str, string lang)
    {

        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(str)) throw new ArgumentNullException("empty language query string");
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(lang)) throw new ArgumentNullException("no language resource given");

        // culture-specific file, i.e. "LangResources.fr"
        Stream stream = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetManifestResourceStream("PIAE.LangResources."+lang);

        // resource not found, revert to default resource
        if (null == stream)
        {                                                                   
            stream = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetManifestResourceStream("PIAE.Properties.LangResources.resources");
        }

        ResourceReader reader = new ResourceReader(stream);
        IDictionaryEnumerator en= reader.GetEnumerator();
        while (en.MoveNext())
        {
            if (en.Key.Equals(str))
            {
                return en.Value.ToString();
            }
        }

        // string not translated, revert to default resource
        return LangResources.ResourceManager.GetString(str);
    }

Answer 2

You didn't find it because it's not the way the .NET framework works. .NET expects satellite DLLs in specifically named location (iow directories named after the language of the resources it contains. eg. de, de-DE, chs,...). If you don't work that way, .NET won't be able to apply its magic (which is to automatically pick the correct resource according to the current UI culture: Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture).

Answer 3

Use this program, it Works with me: EXEPack

You just need to do manually everytime you compile, not sure if there is a command tool.

Answer 4

I used the GetString approach above. The article Can't load a manifest resource with GetManifestResourceStream() describes how to correctly retrieve your resource as a stream object. After that, everything worked.