JavaHelpTM 1.0 - Localization
JavaHelp follows the standard localization conventions used for ResourceBundle.getBundle(). In a networked environment, each such query may require a number of requests across a network to determine the desired bundle for a given Locale. JavaHelp is designed so that only one such search is required to locate the HelpSet file. All other information is obtained by simple requests that start from this file.
Although the HelpSet file is localized following the same naming conventions as with Java Property Resource Bundle, for technical reasons they are not property files. Instead, the method HelptSet.getHelpSet() is used.
An invocation of HelpSet.getHelpSet(name, locale) invokes HelpUtilities.getLocalizedResource(). HelpUtitities.getLocalizedResource() eventually calls into ClassLoader.getResource() with resource names that are based on the name passed and on the Desired locale and the Default locale.
If the first argument to getHelpSet() is "name", the search is conducted in the order shown below (from most specific to least specific). The extension is fixed to be ".hs":
name_language_country_variant.hs
name_language_country.hs
name_language
name
name_defaultlanguage_defaultcountry_defaultvariant
name_defaultlanguage_defaultcountry
name_defaultlanguage
This search order is the one used for ResourceBundle, where it is not exposed. It is captured and exposed in HelpUtilities.getCandidates().
The HTML viewers are required to support localization as specified by the W3C HTML 4.0 standard.
Java uses Unicode internally and it is well suited to internationalization and localization. One specific requirement is that the search code be able to deal with documents that are written in both English and another language. This combination occurs often when some documents have been translated but others have not.
The "Localizing Help Information" section of the JavaHelp User's Guide describes the localization process in detail.