Localized Windows system DLLs

[Guest]

I need some clarification on the Windows system DLLs on fully localized
Windows versions (2000/XP). I read on the Microsoft website that Win2K/XP
have a single worldwide binary. But what about the localizable resources (for
e.g., error strings) that are embedded in the DLLs? Won't they make an
English Windows system DLL different from say the corresponding German system
DLL?

Or does "single worldwide binary" mean that only the executable code section
of the system DLLs is common across all languages? In other words, if I run a
binary diff against an English Windows system DLL (say ole32.dll) and the
corresponding German system DLL, will the result be identical or different?

Please note that I am referring only to _fully_ localized Windows versions
(not those that have MUI packs installed). And as an aside, on Windows
machines that have MUI packs, are the localizable resources stored separately
from the system DLLs? If so, how does the loader know, given a specific DLL,
where to load the resources from: the DLL itself or some other location?

Any help or pointers on this are appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[Guest]

All Windows files (except a few related to the boot-up process) of *all* fully localizated versions of Windows share *the same* internal code (based on the English International version).

There are portions in executables, called 'resources', that are exclusive for any specific localizated XP version: one for the French version, other for the Hebrew one and so on. Resources include text strings, dialog boxes, animations and icons.

To sum up your question, English-language version of Ole32.dll has the same code than the German one (if version numbers are the same, obviously), but their size is different because of resources (German strings are usually longer than English strings).

MUI is based on two things: an English version of XP and a set of files with MUI extension which contain only the resources translated to the appropiated MUI language (if some text is not translated, English resources are used). When you select Italian, for example, in the drop-down list that appears in Language and Regional Options after installing MUI package and log off and on again, XP 'knows' that it must use Italian resources stored on 'Explorer.exe.mui' file instead of English resources stored on 'classic' Explorer.exe file.

Microsoft GlobalDev website has a lot of information on international capabilities of Windows: http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/default.mspx.

 

[Guest]

Thank you very much, Daniel! Your post has cleared all my questions
wonderfully well.

Thanks again!