Q217751: HOWTO: Get Current User Locale ID in VB EXE Without Restarting

Article: Q217751
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): WINDOWS:5.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbActiveX kbAPI kbLocalSvr kbSDKWin32 kbVBp kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbGrpDSVB kbDSupport
Last Modified: 11-JAN-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

The Locale ID (LCID) is a 32-bit value that consists of a language ID plus a
sort ID and other reserved bits. A language ID is a 16-bit value consisting of a
primary language ID and a secondary language ID. After changes have been made to
the Language setting in the Regional Settings applet, it is sometimes necessary
to get the current user LCID value either in the IDE or within an application
without closing down the application. This can be done by calling
GetThreadLocale from within an ActiveX EXE server. The server creates its own
thread and, by calling GetThreadLocale, the current value can be obtained.

Without using an out-of-process server, the value obtained by calling
GetThreadLocale from within a standard EXE application might not be current. You
might also see that the value does not get updated in the IDE.

Some of the API calls that use the LCID as a parameter are GetLocaleInfo,
GetTimeFormat, and GetDateFormat.

MORE INFORMATION
================

To create server and client programs to illustrate this technique, do the
following:

Create the ActiveX server to get the current value of the LCID.:

1. Create a new ActiveX EXE project in Visual Basic. Class1 is created by
  default.

2. In the Class Module, Class1, place the following code:

  Private Declare Function GetThreadLocale Lib "kernel32" () As Long
  Public Function GetLCID() As Long
      GetLCID = GetThreadLocale()
  End Function

3. Click on the Properties menu and select Project1.Properties.

4. On the General tab, set the Project Name and the description to lcidsrvr.

5. Also on the General tab, set the Threading model to Thread Per Object.

6. Click OK.

7. From the File menu, click on the Make Project1.exe item and enter "LCIDsrv"
  (without the quotation marks) as the name of the EXE.

8. Click OK.

Create the client application and run the example.:

1. Bring up another instance of Visual Basic and create a Standard EXE project.
  Form1 is created by default.

2. Place a TextBox (Text1) and a CommandButton (Command1) on Form1.

3. Place the following code in the General Declarations section of Form1:

  Private Declare Function GetThreadLocale Lib "kernel32" () As Long
  Private Sub Command1_Click()
      Dim LCID As Long
      Dim oLCID As Object
      ' Use out of proc server to get LCID in separate thread
      Set oLCID = CreateObject("lcidsrvr.class1")
      LCID = oLCID.GetLCID
      Text1.Text = LCID & " (" & Hex$(LCID) & ")"
  End Sub

4. Bring up the Regional Settings applet by clicking on the Start button and
  selecting Settings. Click on Control Panel, and then click on Regional
  Settings.

5. Set the Language on the Regional Settings tab to English (United States) and
  click the Apply button. (If the Language is already set to English (United
  States), leave as is.)

6. Run the application and click Command1. You should see the current value of
  the LCID appear in the TextBox. For US English, this value is 1033 or 409
  hex.

7. Change the Language in Regional Settings to English (United Kingdom) and
  click the Apply button.

8. Click Command1 and the LCID value displayed in the TextBox is 2057 or 809
  hex.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbActiveX kbAPI kbLocalSvr kbSDKWin32 kbVBp kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbGrpDSVB kbDSupport 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB500Search kbVB600Search kbVBA500 kbVBA600 kbVB500 kbVB600
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbhowto

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1986-2002.