The problem is deeper than just existing applications, it's downright Win32
API that hasn't changed (much) since Win 3.1. APIs like PointToClient, and
PointToScreen get confused by scrollbars, scrollbar positions get lost by
panels on a windows app, there is so much mapping going on to keep the
scrollbar firmly stuck to the right hand side and the bottom side that it is
near impossible to switch it otherwise.

To appreciate this, create a simple application, put a panel on it, with
autoscroll, few other resizable autoscrollable child controls and resize the
whole thing, and see how much code you have to write yourself to make
everything work seamlessly.

Now think of Microsoft's job to write all that in C++/assembly, rather
modify Win32 API code written by people some of whom may already be dead. ..

..... bottom line .. it ain't easy.

Speaking of Right to Left Languages, thats a small enough audience who will
put up with a few pages not working optimal for being able to work in Right
to Left. You cannot apply the same argument to English - for 4% of lefties,
it isn't sensible to break every single app for the rest of the 96% .. thats
why :)

- Sahil Malik
Independent Consultant
You can reach me thru my blog at -
http://www.dotnetjunkies.com/weblog/sahilmalik/



"Mike Williams [MVP]" <mikew@Nospam]mvps.org> wrote in message
news:uT6ppPNVEHA.1048@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>
> "mjmattson" <mjmattson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:003BEE93-F199-497C-AA2E-D6A3A935F068@microsoft.com...
> >I figured with Bill Gates being left-handed this would have been
something
> >looked at. I can wait until LongHorn...just wondered if it had been
looked
> >at.
> >
> > I appreciate all the information provided.
>
> A larger-than-average proportion of the Tablet architects is left-handed
and
> this discussion has been had since the very earliest days. There also some
> problems with legacy code in some of the standard Windows libraries that
> don't produce very good menu flyout behaviour when switched to left-hand
> user behaviour.
>
> Windows does support switching scroll-bars over for Arabic and Hebrew
> systems, but many third-party Win32 applications that are untested in
these
> scenarios will crash.
>
>