Read key, value and comment from resources in a .resx file

Question

I've a .resx file contains string name value pairs. Now I want to get the name and value pair into a List pragmatically using C# (Windows forms). How can I achieve that. but here is a twist in the value achievement in a List, I have a "Combo box" and two text boxes. At run time all the keys should be added in Combo box and automatically other two test box fill with Value and comment. Please help me in this task. Thanks in Advance...

Answer 1

Take a look at ResXResourceReader, this can easily do what you're trying to do.

For example, you can do something like:

    private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        //ComboBox will use "Name" property of the items you add
        comboBox1.DisplayMember = "Name";
        //Create the reader for your resx file
        ResXResourceReader reader = new ResXResourceReader("C:\\your\\file.resx");
        //Set property to use ResXDataNodes in object ([see MSDN][2])
        reader.UseResXDataNodes = true;
        IDictionaryEnumerator enumerator = reader.GetEnumerator();

        while (enumerator.MoveNext())
        {   //Fill the combobox with all key/value pairs
            comboBox1.Items.Add(enumerator.Value);
        }
    }

    private void comboBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (comboBox1.SelectedIndex == -1)
            return;

        //Assembly is used to read resource value
        Assembly currentAssembly = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
        //Current resource selected in ComboBox
        ResXDataNode node = (ResXDataNode)comboBox1.SelectedItem;

        //textBox2 contains the resource comment
        textBox2.Text = node.Comment;
        //Reading resource value, you can probably find a smarter way to achieve this, but I don't know it
        object value = node.GetValue(new AssemblyName[] { currentAssembly.GetName() });
        if (value.GetType() != typeof(String))
        {   //Resource isn't of string type
            textBox1.Text = "";
            return;
        }

        //Writing string value in textBox1
        textBox1.Text = (String)value;
    }