Multilingual User Interface (MUI) Application Development (Windows CE 5.0)
The Multilingual User Interface (MUI) functionality in Windows CE gives the user the ability to change the language of the user interface (UI). For example, an end user working with an English UI will be able to change the language of the UI to Spanish.
To make this possible, the MUI uses a single core binary that includes the system default language together with one resource dynamic-link library (DLL) per additional target language. The initial boot of the target device is generated with the system default language. When the end user selects another language, the new language goes into effect after the target device is reset. The switch requires recreating windows, menus, and dialog boxes with the newly loaded resources. In addition, to be considered successful, the language switch must display these elements with the correct fonts and with the correct locale-specific information.
The following list shows the advantages of this approach:
- A developer can generate a single run-time image for multiple target languages and markets.
- Production is flexible and distribution gains flexibility, because target devices are not tied to a single locale.
- Translations for additional languages can be done later.
- End users gain the flexibility to switch between UI languages.
See Also
Working with Fonts in the MUI | Using the MUI with Applications
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