Externalizing an Embedded String

In this section, you will use Globalyzer to locate and externalize the embedded strings that the scanner found in the source file. You will also have Globalyzer insert an Externalized String comment just above the line where the string was externalized.

1. First we want to make sure that Globalyzer is set up to insert an Externalized String comment each time a string is externalized. Select Window=>Preferences=>Globalyzer and then check the Automatically Insert Externalized String Comment checkbox as shown here.

   

   Click OK to save your changes.

2. Make sure Embedded Strings is selected in the Results dropdown in the Scan Results view.

3. In the Scan Results table, double-click anywhere in the row containing the issue Example Address Book. Remember that this string is an issue because it represents display text, i.e. text the user will see. In this case, it is the visible title of the main application window. The issue is highlighted in the Source File Editor view, as shown below.

   

4. Without deselecting the text, right click on the main panel and select Globalyzer=>Externalize String.

   

   Note that the string "Example Address Book" has been replaced by:

   I18nUtils.getString("EXAM_EXAMPLE_1")

   In addition, the comment, GLOBALYZER_EXTERNALIZED_TEXT: Example Address Book has automatically been inserted into the source code, above the modified line.

5. Globalyzer will automatically save your source file during string externalization, but if you had made other changes, you would save your work by selecting File=>Save in the Menu Bar, or pressing Ctrl-S.

6. Using a Project Explorer on your system, navigate to the location of your exampleResources.properties file and open it.

   Note: exampleResources.properties will likely be located under C:\tmp\example-source-java\src\com\lingoport\demo\java\resources

7. The following lines appear in the file:

   # SOURCE_FILE {your path}/ExampleMain.java
EXAM_EXAMPLE_1=Example Address Book

   The name/value pair for the externalized string has been written to the resource file. The key, EXAM_EXAMPLE_1 , was automatically generated - you can customize this by clicking the Edit Format button next to the String Key Format field on the Globalyzer String Externalization page of the scan configuration. (Select Scan=>Manage Scans, select the scan to modify, select Modify, then click Next, and Next again to get to the Globalyzer String Externalization page.) This is the key used by the myBundle.getString method to retrieve the display text, Example Address Book.

   Note: If these lines did not appear in your source file, the most likely issue is that your scan's Resource File Path is configured incorrectly. Instructions for properly configuring this setting are present in the previous tutorial page.

8. Once externalized, the entry will be removed from the Active Scan Results table.

In the next lesson, you will use the Scan Results table to externalize multiple strings at once using the Externalize Selected Strings feature.