The Localized Strings

A localized string is a string that can have different values depending on the language in which the project is being build.

There are two categories of localized strings:

• the strings included in the UI of the installation package, common to every MSI file
• the strings included in your project, that are particular to the current project: the name of your application, file names, registry values, properties etc.

The former are shipped with Advanced Installer for several languages. But you can easily create and add translations for other languages using the Translations page.

The latter are particular to every project and therefore must be specified by the user. Not every string has to be translated. For the ones you want to be localized a localization identifier must be attached.

If the localizable string is empty, then no translation will take place even if a valid localization identifier was defined.

The Localization Identifier

Each translated string is attached a unique identifier called the Localization Identifier. This is then used to search the dictionaries and locate the value of that string in different languages.

To attach a localization identifier to a certain string you have two choices:

• leave it automatically generated (recommended)
• specify it yourself. This option is useful if you want to use a dictionary with custom IDs, or dictionaries that you have already translated prior building the current project.