Localization and Resources

Name: localization
Rating: 92
Author: RedSalamanders

Mandatory Rules

•All user-facing strings → .rc STRINGTABLE
•All static menus → .rc MENU resources
•Never hardcode UI text in C++
•Always use positional formatting for variable strings to help localization
•Never treat a resource string as a printf-format string (%s, %d, etc.). Use FormatStringResource(...) with std::format-style placeholders and avoid C4774 suppressions.

Resource Helpers (Common/Helpers.h)

cpp

// Load string from resources
std::wstring title = LoadStringResource(IDS_APP_TITLE);

// Format with arguments
std::wstring msg = FormatStringResource(IDS_FILE_COUNT, fileCount);

// Message box from resources
MessageBoxResource(_hWnd, IDS_ERROR_MSG, IDS_ERROR_TITLE, MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);

STRINGTABLE in .rc

STRINGTABLE
BEGIN
    IDS_APP_TITLE       "Red Salamander"
    IDS_FILE_COUNT      "{0} files selected"
    IDS_ERROR_MESSAGE   "An error occurred: {0} in {1}"
END

Avoid printf-style resource formats

// ❌ Wrong (printf-style):
IDS_FATAL_EXCEPTION_FMT "Fatal Exception: %s (0x%08X)"

// ✅ Correct (std::format-style positional):
IDS_FATAL_EXCEPTION_FMT "Fatal Exception: {0} (0x{1:08X})"

Menu Resources in .rc

IDR_MAINMENU MENU
BEGIN
    POPUP "&File"
    BEGIN
        MENUITEM "&Open",   ID_FILE_OPEN
        MENUITEM "&Save",   ID_FILE_SAVE
        MENUITEM SEPARATOR
        MENUITEM "E&xit",   ID_FILE_EXIT
    END
END

Dynamic Menu Extensions

Runtime code may only extend dynamic parts:

•Theme lists from Themes\*.theme.json5
•Custom themes from settings
•Per-user history entries

Base menu structure must remain in .rc files.

Pattern

cpp

// ✅ Correct - load from resources
auto title = LoadStringResource(IDS_TITLE);

// ❌ Wrong - hardcoded
SetWindowTextW(hWnd, L"My Title");