How to? Install single-language version

[Steve Fabian]

Is it possible to install TCMD and / or TCC/LE for just a single language? I know one can delete unused ones after installation, and no harm is done unless the LanguageDLL directive is set to a deleted language.

BTW, the description of the LanguageDLL directive in tcmd.chm did not keep up with the number of languages available, half the languages are not listed. Furthermore, now there are two (2) for each language - the basic, e.g., English.DLL, and the second with D suffix added to the name, e.g., EnglishD.DLL, this ought to be made clearer...

 

[Steve Fabian]

When does the LanguageDLL directive take effect? I changed it with the OPTION //LanguageDLL= command, but all error messages remained in English in the current TCC instance. I did not try to change it in the .INI file and start a new instance, I am sure it would have been effective. Anyway, I think this directive is a perfect candidate to be put into the OPTION dialog with the choices selectable in a pop-up - it may require a new file naming convention for it to be populated automatically based on what is installed.

 

[rconn]

Is it possible to install TCMD and / or TCC/LE for just a single language? I know one can delete unused ones after installation, and no harm is done unless the LanguageDLL directive is set to a deleted language.

No, it is not possible to install for a single language. (Nor is there any advantage to doing so unless you're down to your last megabyte!)

BTW, the description of the LanguageDLL directive in tcmd.chm did not keep up with the number of languages available, half the languages are not listed. Furthermore, now there are two (2) for each language - the basic, e.g., English.DLL, and the second with D suffix added to the name, e.g., EnglishD.DLL, this ought to be made clearer...

The xxD dll's are unrelated to LanguageDLL, Take Command, and TCC. They're used by IDE.EXE, which has its own directive.

 

[rconn]

When does the LanguageDLL directive take effect? I changed it with the OPTION //LanguageDLL= command, but all error messages remained in English in the current TCC instance. I did not try to change it in the .INI file and start a new instance, I am sure it would have been effective. Anyway, I think this directive is a perfect candidate to be put into the OPTION dialog with the choices selectable in a pop-up - it may require a new file naming convention for it to be populated automatically based on what is installed.

LanguageDLL is read at startup, or when modified by OPTION. It is also already in the OPTION dialog with the choices selectable in a popup, on the first ("Startup") page in TCC, and the first ("Windows") page in Take Command.

 

[mathewsdw]

May I ask an apparently dumb question? What exactly is "IDE.exe"? I have no such thing running on my machine (Windows 7 using either the system-internals PSList program or the standard Windows Task Manager), and all of the references I can find to it on the web using Google primarily mention it a probably being a virus!!!

 

[rconn]

May I ask an apparently dumb question? What exactly is "IDE.exe"? I have no such thing running on my machine (Windows 7 using either the system-internals PSList program or the standard Windows Task Manager), and all of the references I can find to it on the web using Google primarily mention it a probably being a virus!!!

It's the batch debugger. It won't be running unless you explicitly start it.

 

[TEA-Time]

May I ask an apparently dumb question? What exactly is "IDE.exe"? I have no such thing running on my machine (Windows 7 using either the system-internals PSList program or the standard Windows Task Manager), and all of the references I can find to it on the web using Google primarily mention it a probably being a virus!!!

IDE = Integrated Development Environment.

 

[mathewsdw]

I'm laughing as I enter this!!! IDE for what??? I used to run Visual C++ on an almost-constant basis until I've tried to "give up" on C++ and "transfer" my "development" to 100% TCC's batch-file language, but I don't remember the Visual Studio's IDE actually being called "IDE.exe" in any context. Could be I just don't remember that...

And Rex, you evidently responded while I was typing this! Thank you!!!

 

[Steve Fabian]

LanguageDLL is read at startup, or when modified by OPTION. It is also already in the OPTION dialog with the choices selectable in a popup, on the first ("Startup") page in TCC, and the first ("Windows") page in Take Command.

Sorry, I overlooked it in the OPTION dialog (where mine is set to "default").

I just used OPTION //LanguageDLL=russian.dll, and the value of the directive is reported by @OPTION[] as italian.dll. However, the commands which I tried to force a TCC message or error message to display, e.g. "*echo", "usbmonitor", "echo %_idowf %_imonthf" all report in English. WinXP SP3 home / TCC 13.0.39.

 

[rconn]

The language switching (like many other options) cannot be done with OPTION //languagedll=..., only by the dialog.

 

[Steve Fabian]

Sorry, I actually tried both russian.dll and italian.dll, report is compound... When Russian did not work, I thought it might be a codepage/font issue, switched to italian, still no joy.

 

[Steve Fabian]

My previous response was written before you told me the OPTION dialog must be used. Now setting language to "default" does not restore the Windows locale (English), it leaves the previous selection in effect. Is this WAD? Note: .INI file is RO, OPTION cannot change it, and it does not contain a LanguageDLL directive.

 

[rconn]

It's WAD if you locked your TCMD.INI. (Not really a very good idea, as TCMD and TCC write a lot of their configuration data there when they exit.)

BTW -- *why* are you trying to change the language from the command prompt??

 

[Steve Fabian]

It's WAD if you locked your TCMD.INI. (Not really a very good idea, as TCMD and TCC write a lot of their configuration data there when they exit.)

OK. I locked them (I have many, some for transient uses, and one each for V5... V13) because 1/ when TCMD and TCC add configuration data, they also rewrite the unchanged directives, including those that have been set from other files invoked by the INCLUDE directive, and 2/ when they are rewritten, their modification date changes, and I lose track of manual changes supported by backups.

BTW -- *why* are you trying to change the language from the command prompt??

I use TCC because I like text mode, everything I do is EXPLICIT. Changes made by mice are not recorded. I have to take my hands off the keyboard, unless I am willing to press the Tab key so many times that I arrive at the proper screen location (why does it have a different layout for the German and French option dialogs than the other languages?). As to the reason for trying to change languages? I was checking out operating without all "language packs" installed.

BTW, I noted that the language list in the OPTION dialog is based on distribution, not installation (which may delete unwanted language DLLs). Also, most software which has language options lists ALL language names in their native tongue. TCC's dialog does this EXCEPT for Russian.

I noted that deleting 5 of the 6 languages reduces the disk footprint of TCMD by about 20%. When your primary system or your backup device is overcrowded, this may be significant. Not on any of my own devices...

 

[Charles Dye]

Also, most software which has language options lists ALL language names in their native tongue. TCC's dialog does this EXCEPT for Russian.

That's probably because Russian is the only one that doesn't use the Roman alphabet.

 

[rconn]

BTW, I noted that the language list in the OPTION dialog is based on distribution, not installation (which may delete unwanted language DLLs). Also, most software which has language options lists ALL language names in their native tongue. TCC's dialog does this EXCEPT for Russian.

The installation as documented and supported by JP Software will never delete unwanted language DLL's. You can't seriously be suggesting that I should monitor every goofy thing a user decides to do and modify the (compiled, readonly, locked by Windows) language dll's dynamically??? (First, ask Microsoft and Intel to allow programs to overwrite code. Then, abandon all hope of ever using your system again as the viruses multiply beyond all count.)

I noted that deleting 5 of the 6 languages reduces the disk footprint of TCMD by about 20%. When your primary system or your backup device is overcrowded, this may be significant. Not on any of my own devices...

Could be useful if you're running on a floppy-only system ... and you're not running Windows 7 (which won't allow you to delete them anyway).

 

[Steve Fabian]

That's probably because Russian is the only one that doesn't use the Roman alphabet.

AFAIK Unicode includes the Cyrillic alphabets (Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian). Furthermore, once you select Russian, close and reopen the option dialog, it is now in Russian.

 

[rconn]

AFAIK Unicode includes the Cyrillic alphabets (Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian). Furthermore, once you select Russian, close and reopen the option dialog, it is now in Russian.

Most users aren't using Unicode character sets. Do you want me to unilaterally replace everyone's chosen character set on the off chance they might want to display "Russian" in Russian?

 

[Steve Fabian]

The installation as documented and supported by JP Software will never delete unwanted language DLL's. You can't seriously be suggesting that I should monitor every goofy thing a user decides to do and modify the (compiled, readonly, locked by Windows) language dll's dynamically???

Some software allows downloading and installing only the chosen language. And I did not suggest dynamically modifying the language DLL-s, nor even the code in the OPTION dialog. I was suggesting that the OPTION dialog could check which of the distributed language DLLs are actually present, and - just like @SELECT - offer only those language choices. It could even authenticate the DLLs to prevent introducing viruses by counterfeit DLLs.

 

[Charles Dye]

AFAIK Unicode includes the Cyrillic alphabets (Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian).

Unicode does, but not all fonts do. The fonts used by default for menus certainly ought to include Cyrillic, but users can change the UI fonts.

 

[rconn]

Some software allows downloading and installing only the chosen language.

A lot of our users want multiple languages (English + their own), and no installer I've ever seen allows selecting multiple languages.

And I did not suggest dynamically modifying the language DLL-s, nor even the code in the OPTION dialog. I was suggesting that the OPTION dialog could check which of the distributed language DLLs are actually present, and - just like @SELECT - offer only those language choices.

That would require substantial extra effort (and 6 translations), for something that nobody has ever expressed any interest in. (And something that is impossible anyway in a modern operating system -- i.e., anything newer than the ghastly antiquated bug riddled security disaster called XP.)

It could even authenticate the DLLs to prevent introducing viruses by counterfeit DLLs.

It's been doing that for 10 years.

 

[Steve Fabian]

Unicode does, but not all fonts do. The fonts used by default for menus certainly ought to include Cyrillic, but users can change the UI fonts.

The default font used by the TCC dialogs obviously does include Cyrillic, as it displayed the Russian dialog legibly on my WinXP platform. I don't even know how to change the fonts in the OPTION dialog (the only one relevant). I was able to change the font used in the messagebox/querybox (in Windows itself), and I think the [FONT] section of the .INI file may control history pop-ups, but settng the "italic" entry to one (1) did nothing visible. So I think my previous statement about using Cyrillic for the word "Russian" in the OPTION dialog is feasible. But it is of no relevance to me personally - the only alternate language I'd consider using is my native Hungarian.

Rex, are you interested in creating Hungarian.dll?

 

[rconn]

Rex, are you interested in creating Hungarian.dll?

I'm always interested in adding additional languages. (Though the ratio of people volunteering to do a specific language to actually delivering a result is probably 10-1.)

You can look at the English language resource files used by Take Command in the ftp beta area (ftp.jpsoft.com/beta). (View.rc isn't translated in v13, but will be in v14.) It's pretty straightforward, but it's non-trivial (at least several days of work). If you're interested, contact me off-list and I'll set you up with DropBox access to the resource source.