Are there any emerging conventions for localizatio...

# compose-desktop

[Carter]

Are there any emerging conventions for localization in Compose Desktop (and also hopefully Web)?

[Dirk Hoffmann]

well, on my last search a few month's ago nothing "standard"y found ...
as I stay on the desktop (non android/iOS) I use my own:

object I18N  {
    private val translationBundles = HashMap<Locale, ResourceBundle>()
//    private var currentLocale = Locale("de", "DE")
    private var currentLocale = Locale("en", "GB")
    private var currentTranslations: ResourceBundle

    init {
        currentTranslations = try {
            currentTranslations = ResourceBundle.getBundle("i18n.translations", currentLocale)
            translationBundles[currentLocale] = currentTranslations
            currentTranslations
        }
        catch (except: MissingResourceException) {
            throw Exception("translation properties file not found: src/main/resources/i18n/translations_${currentLocale.toString()}.properties")
        }
    }

    operator fun get(key: String): String {
        return T(key)
    }
    fun T(key: String): String {
        return try {
            if (true == currentTranslations.containsKey(key)) currentTranslations.getString(key) else key
        }
        catch (except: ClassCastException) {
            "ClassCastException:${key}"
        }
    }
    fun T(keys: List<String>): List<String> {
        return keys.map { T(it) }
    }
}

[Carter]

I was afraid that might be the case.

[Dirk Hoffmann]

well, that's what I thought also in the beginning ... but then ... localisation of Strings is not Rocket Science ... it is simply Resource Property files and static I18N.get(keyOfString) calls instead of "the String" calls ...
What would you expect of an external Library to do more than that ??

[Carter]

Operate off of a standard format, for integration with localization services

Deal with positional formatters

Deal with plurals

[Carter]

And for the positional formatters, ideally support contextual information so translators know what the format string actually is.

[Carter]

Nice to have would be overlay or partial translation support for regions. Eg US versus UK