by Michael S. Kaplan, published on 2010/06/16 07:01 -04:00, original URI: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/michkap/archive/2010/06/16/10025478.aspx
After I wrote I have not, generally speaking, been a "flasher" (for the last few years at least!) about the flash.globalization namespace, I had people sending me mail.
They really wanted more information on Microsoft technologies as well.
They figured Flash was all well and good, but what kind of stuff was available in other (non-Flash) cases.
Fair enough.
Because Cathy, in her new role, pointed out something to me that is really interesting on that front. :-)
You may remember JScript's ultimate globalization hero: VBScript, where I pointed out:
JScript and JavaScript (aka ECMAScript) all have in common this particular lack of the kind of support for internationalization that people like me consider to be pretty important.
This kind of says it all....
Well, it did then.
But now, in jQuery Globalization Plugin from Microsoft, MS VP Scott Guthrie points out a new open source library that seeks to provide a much better answer here!
In his words:
Today, we released a prototype of a new jQuery Globalization Plugin that enables you to add globalization support to your JavaScript applications. This plugin includes globalization information for over 350 cultures ranging from Scottish Gaelic, Frisian, Hungarian, Japanese, to Canadian English. We will be releasing this plugin to the community as open-source
That kind of says it all, doesn't it? :-)
Scott also includes some samples of how the plugin works and where to download it from and so on.
You can read more about it on Port 25. And this is a great thing on the Open Source and interoperability fronts, and is a great example of a case where Microsoft needed a problem solved but looked at the strategic advantages to an interoperable solution and delivered on it....
This is really very cool and should fill a long-empty hole in web development for a whole lot more more people than just me. :-)
In fact, in my own work then there might be times we can take JScript off the "challenging technologies from a globalization point of view" standpoint, which is not such a great list to be on....
I imagine VBScript will be able to get over no longer being JScript's "Globalization hero" though I admit I can't get the imag of the rejected VBScript in some takeoff on the Swiffer "Who's That Lady?" commercials or something. Makes me wonder who VBScript will be dancing with -- WSH maybe?
Anyway, enjoy. And let me know what you think of the JQuery Globalization Plugin!
(or if you decide to do that video, I think that would be hilarious!)
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