Category: Life as a Programmer

I have encountered an issue the other week of a friend that want the default date be changed to another format inside the app. After digging a few days later i came out with a complete list of local settings you can change while inside the delphi environment. Will be posting the codes here for anyone who has encountered the same issues as i have. Hope this helps somebody out there.

Enjoy

Coffee Cup

CurrencyString, CurrencyFormat, NegCurrFormat, ThousandSeparator,
DecimalSeparator, CurrencyDecimals, DateSeparator, ShortDateFormat,
LongDateFormat, TimeSeparator, TimeAMString, TimePMString,
ShortTimeFormat, LongTimeFormat

//Change COMPUTER date and time
SetLocaleInfo(GetThreadLocale, LOCALE_SSHORTDATE, ‘MM/dd/yyyy’);
SendMessageTimeout(HWND_BROADCAST, WM_SETTINGCHANGE, 0, 0,
SMTO_ABORTIFHUNG, 1000, PDWord(Nil)^);

//Change formatting from within the APPLICATION
DateSeparator := ‘/’;
ShortDateFormat := ‘MM/dd/yyyy’;

I got this info from a website that showcases all of the identifiers for each pc. Thought of posting it here also in my blog for future references

Question: How can I determine various locale information using delphi?

Answer:
Delphi has a function called GetLocaleInfo which you can use to retrieve information such as the system language, currency symbol, number of decimal digits and so forth.

Here is a function that will return locale information based on the parameter “flag” :

……..
function TForm1.GetLocaleInformation(Flag: Integer): String;
var
pcLCA: Array[0..20] of Char;
begin
if( GetLocaleInfo(LOCALE_SYSTEM_DEFAULT,Flag,pcLCA,19) pcLCA[0] := #0;
end;
Result := pcLCA;
end;
……..

Example of using the function:

……..
procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
ShowMessage(GetLocaleInformation(LOCALE_SENGLANGUAGE));
end;
……..

“Flag” can take the following values (as seen in Windows.pas):

LOCALE_NOUSEROVERRIDE { do not use user overrides }
LOCALE_USE_CP_ACP { use the system ACP }
LOCALE_ILANGUAGE { language id }
LOCALE_SLANGUAGE { localized name of language }
LOCALE_SENGLANGUAGE { English name of language
LOCALE_SABBREVLANGNAME { abbreviated language name }
LOCALE_SNATIVELANGNAME { native name of language }
LOCALE_ICOUNTRY { country code }
LOCALE_SCOUNTRY { localized name of country }
LOCALE_SENGCOUNTRY { English name of country }
LOCALE_SABBREVCTRYNAME { abbreviated country name }
LOCALE_SNATIVECTRYNAME { native name of country }
LOCALE_IDEFAULTLANGUAGE { default language id }
LOCALE_IDEFAULTCOUNTRY { default country code }
LOCALE_IDEFAULTCODEPAGE { default oem code page }
LOCALE_IDEFAULTANSICODEPAGE { default ansi code page }
LOCALE_IDEFAULTMACCODEPAGE { default mac code page }
LOCALE_SLIST { list item separator }
LOCALE_IMEASURE { 0 = metric, 1 = US }
LOCALE_SDECIMAL { decimal separator }
LOCALE_STHOUSAND { thousand separator }
LOCALE_SGROUPING { digit grouping }
LOCALE_IDIGITS { number of fractional digits }
LOCALE_ILZERO { leading zeros for decimal }
LOCALE_INEGNUMBER { negative number mode }
LOCALE_SNATIVEDIGITS { native ascii 0-9 }
LOCALE_SCURRENCY { local monetary symbol }
LOCALE_SINTLSYMBOL { intl monetary symbol }
LOCALE_SMONDECIMALSEP { monetary decimal separator }
LOCALE_SMONTHOUSANDSEP { monetary thousand separator }
LOCALE_SMONGROUPING { monetary grouping }
LOCALE_ICURRDIGITS { # local monetary digits }
LOCALE_IINTLCURRDIGITS { # intl monetary digits }
LOCALE_ICURRENCY { positive currency mode }
LOCALE_INEGCURR { negative currency mode }
LOCALE_SDATE { date separator }
LOCALE_STIME { time separator }
LOCALE_SSHORTDATE { short date format string }
LOCALE_SLONGDATE { long date format string }
LOCALE_STIMEFORMAT { time format string }
LOCALE_IDATE { short date format ordering }
LOCALE_ILDATE { long date format ordering }
LOCALE_ITIME { time format specifier }
LOCALE_ITIMEMARKPOSN { time marker position }
LOCALE_ICENTURY { century format specifier (short date) }
LOCALE_ITLZERO { leading zeros in time field }
LOCALE_IDAYLZERO { leading zeros in day field (short date) }
LOCALE_IMONLZERO { leading zeros in month field (short date) }
LOCALE_S1159 { AM designator }
LOCALE_S2359 { PM designator }
LOCALE_ICALENDARTYPE { type of calendar specifier }
LOCALE_IOPTIONALCALENDAR { additional calendar types specifier }
LOCALE_IFIRSTDAYOFWEEK { first day of week specifier }
LOCALE_IFIRSTWEEKOFYEAR { first week of year specifier }
LOCALE_SDAYNAME1 { long name for Monday }
LOCALE_SDAYNAME2 { long name for Tuesday }
LOCALE_SDAYNAME3 { long name for Wednesday }
LOCALE_SDAYNAME4 { long name for Thursday }
LOCALE_SDAYNAME5 { long name for Friday }
LOCALE_SDAYNAME6 { long name for Saturday }
LOCALE_SDAYNAME7 { long name for Sunday }
LOCALE_SABBREVDAYNAME1 { abbreviated name for Monday }
LOCALE_SABBREVDAYNAME2 { abbreviated name for Tuesday }
LOCALE_SABBREVDAYNAME3 { abbreviated name for Wednesday }
LOCALE_SABBREVDAYNAME4 { abbreviated name for Thursday }
LOCALE_SABBREVDAYNAME5 { abbreviated name for Friday }
LOCALE_SABBREVDAYNAME6 { abbreviated name for Saturday }
LOCALE_SABBREVDAYNAME7 { abbreviated name for Sunday }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME1 { long name for January }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME2 { long name for February }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME3 { long name for March }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME4 { long name for April }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME5 { long name for May }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME6 { long name for June }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME7 { long name for July }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME8 { long name for August }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME9 { long name for September }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME10 { long name for October }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME11 { long name for November }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME12 { long name for December }
LOCALE_SMONTHNAME13 { long name for 13th month (if exists) }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME1 { abbreviated name for January }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME2 { abbreviated name for February }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME3 { abbreviated name for March }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME4 { abbreviated name for April }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME5 { abbreviated name for May }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME6 { abbreviated name for June }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME7 { abbreviated name for July }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME8 { abbreviated name for August }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME9 { abbreviated name for September }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME10 { abbreviated name for October }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME11 { abbreviated name for November }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME12 { abbreviated name for December }
LOCALE_SABBREVMONTHNAME13 { abbreviated name for 13th month (if exists) }
LOCALE_SPOSITIVESIGN { positive sign }
LOCALE_SNEGATIVESIGN { negative sign }
LOCALE_IPOSSIGNPOSN { positive sign position }
LOCALE_INEGSIGNPOSN { negative sign position }
LOCALE_IPOSSYMPRECEDES { mon sym precedes pos amt }
LOCALE_IPOSSEPBYSPACE { mon sym sep by space from pos amt }
LOCALE_INEGSYMPRECEDES { mon sym precedes neg amt }
LOCALE_INEGSEPBYSPACE { mon sym sep by space from neg amt }
LOCALE_FONTSIGNATURE { font signature }
LOCALE_SISO639LANGNAME { ISO abbreviated language name }
LOCALE_SISO3166CTRYNAME { ISO abbreviated country name }

URL:
http://delphi.cjcsoft.net//viewthread.php?tid=45725

So far this is what i had dig up on the topic. It made sense to post this one here since i am pretty sure somebody’s also looking for this info. Hehehe

Enjoy

Coffee Cup

procedure SetLocaleInfoSample;
var number, ds, lz;
begin
number := 0.7;

// Remember default number settings
ds := GetLocaleInfo(LOCALE_USER_DEFAULT, LOCALE_SDECIMAL);
lz := GetLocaleInfo(LOCALE_USER_DEFAULT, LOCALE_ILZERO);

// Log a number using default settings
Log.Message( FloatToStr(number) );

// Log a number using a different decimal separator
SetLocaleInfo(LOCALE_USER_DEFAULT, LOCALE_SDECIMAL, ‘,’);
Log.Message( FloatToStr(number) );

// Log a number without the leading zero
SetLocaleInfo(LOCALE_USER_DEFAULT, LOCALE_ILZERO, ‘0’);
Log.Message( FloatToStr(number) );

// Restore original settings
SetLocaleInfo(LOCALE_USER_DEFAULT, LOCALE_SDECIMAL, ds);
SetLocaleInfo(LOCALE_USER_DEFAULT, LOCALE_ILZERO, lz);
end;

{
The function produces the following output for US English locale:

0.7
0,7
,7
}

procedure ChangeShortDate;
var strOldShortDate;
begin
// Get current short date format
strOldShortDate := GetLocaleInfo(LOCALE_USER_DEFAULT, LOCALE_SSHORTDATE);

if not SetLocaleInfo(LOCALE_USER_DEFAULT, LOCALE_SSHORTDATE, ‘yyyy/MM/dd’) then
Log.Error(‘Could not change short date format.’);

// Restore original short date format
if not SetLocaleInfo(LOCALE_USER_DEFAULT, LOCALE_SSHORTDATE, strOldShortDate) then
Log.Error(‘Could not restore original short date format.’);
end;