If you don't yet have any Russian font installed, you'll have to go to |Settings|, |Control Panel|, |Add/Remove Programs|, and install the Russian ( Cyrillic ) font in the Multilanguage Support setup options.
Just install the Russian font .. |Settings|, |Control Panel|, |Regional Options| ..
WinXP probably already has the Cyrillic character set available.
All operating systems from Win95 to WinME will happily display the Russian Cyrillic font in the list control if you select the Options, List in Cyrillic, menu item. Unfortunately Win2000, and WinXP, require some additional settings, and also a re-boot or two, before they can do this.
While it's not a requirement to use this program, here are the procedures to go through, if you're really curious, but read the warnings below, first !
WARNING!, CAUTION!, DANGER! WARNING!, CAUTION!, DANGER!
Leaving your system with these settings may NOT be a good idea. Not only might a lot of web sites start serving you their Russian pages, but some 'dumb' software installers might try to install the Russian versions of their software without even asking !
FYI: While the normally 'corrupted' listbox text in Win2000 and WinXP may be ugly, it does show you what the Russian translations look like when you paste them into a non-Cyrillic text editor.
In Win2000, you'll have to make Russian the default language setting, as shown in the 'Language Settings' dialog above, using the Set default... button.
Doing this will probably also install the Russian keyboard, as shown below.
In WinXP, you also have to go through similarly tedious procedures.
In both cases, the dictionary program will now display it's menus, etc., in Russian,
WinXP
Using this program couldn't be simpler. Just select an item from the list, tab down to the translated text, right-click on the hi-lited translation, select copy, and paste the results into your source code text.
There are a few separate data categories at the end of the list, easily reached by using the space bar.
Most of the translated Arial 10 strings will show their lengths, in pixels, to help you determine any control size requirements.
These were simply measured, and hopefully include a few extra pixels.
If you look at RU-extras.rdi using NotePad, you can probably figure out how to expand this list with your own additions. The first line is currently a 'dummy' integer, that must exist. Other than that, each line is simply:
{"Englishquotedtext","Russianquotedtext",optional_length_integer,optional_length_integer}
You can create your own custom database files in the program's 'home' folder, using an .rdi file extension, so the program's 'open' dialog recognises it.
The program does some basic error checking when reading external files, limiting it to what it assumes are 4096 lines with a maximum length of 256 characters.
Most of the basic standard Windows shortcut ( hotkey ) references in menus are the same ( English ) on a Russian version of Windows, like the following examples:
Quit Program ( ALT+F4 ), Copy ( CTRL+C ), Cut ( CTRL+X )
Delete ( DELETE ), Paste ( CTRL+V ), Undo ( CTRL+Z )
New ( CTRL+N ), Open ( CTRL+O ), Save ( CTRL+S )
Print ( CTRL+P ), Select All ( CTRL+A ), Find ( CTRL+F )
I've included a simple bilingual demo created by Borland's free BCC55 compiler, complete with my "beginner's" source code. This program shows Russian menus on a CP1251 machine, and English menus elsewhere. "Russian" users have the option of switching to English menus dynamically.
The picture below is from an "English" WinXP, that has been set up to use Russian menus, as shown above, in the "Cyrillic Lists" comments. You can paste phrases from the dictionary into the program's edit control, or try your hand with the Russian keyboard.
I should also point out that if you're using 'ClearType', the text appearance is a bit different, especially for the larger fonts.
A special thanks to Igor Kachan,
for all the Russian translations, and testing.
( .. partial quote, worldlanguages.com )
Russian is notorious for its long personal and place names, for its long words, and for its unusual consonant clusters. Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and numbers are declined in six cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and prepositional or locative. The Russian verb has two aspects, each represented by a separate infinitive, the imperfective to indicate a continuing action, and the perfective to indicate an action already completed or to be completed. The genders number three, masculine, feminine, and neuter, with a different declensional pattern for each (though the neuter is similar to the masculine), and a fourth one for the plural. The stress in Russian is particularly difficult, impossible to predict in an unfamiliar word, and frequently shifting in the course of declensions or conjugations.
Disclaimer: This software and all the accompanying files are provided "as is" and without any warranties expressed or implied including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event should the author be liable for any damages whatsoever (including without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use or inability to use this product.
Wolf and Igor, March/2007 September/2009 - temporarily:
