Mobile i18n Generator

This repository contains the i18nGen command line tool that takes language/localization yaml files as input and automatically generates Swift and Kotlin code containing the localized strings.

This tool is compatible with lyaml files generated by Transifex, and it was originally developed for HubSpot’s mobile apps.

Watch the presentation on YouTube.

Installation

i18nGen requires Swift 5 and it was tested on macOS 10.14 and Ubuntu 18.04

• Clone this repository:

$ git clone https://github.com/fabio914/mobile-i18n.git

• Go to the mobile-i18n-generator folder:

$ cd mobile-i18n

• Run the install script:

$ ./install.sh

or

$ ./installLinux.sh

Usage

$ i18nGen <main language YAML file> [additional language YAML files ...] [output options] [warning options]

Examples (Swift):

$ i18nGen en.lyaml de.lyaml es.lyaml fr.lyaml ja.lyaml pt-br.lyaml -swift

Outputs a Swift dictionary, without warnings:

$ i18nGen en.lyaml de.lyaml es.lyaml fr.lyaml ja.lyaml pt-br.lyaml -swift-dictionary -w

All warnings:

$ i18nGen en.lyaml de.lyaml es.lyaml fr.lyaml ja.lyaml pt-br.lyaml -swift -Wall

Examples (Kotlin):

$ i18nGen en.lyaml de.lyaml es.lyaml fr.lyaml ja.lyaml pt-br.lyaml -kotlin com.organization.localization

Outputs Kotlin code without static strings:

$ i18nGen en.lyaml de.lyaml es.lyaml fr.lyaml ja.lyaml pt-br.lyaml -kotlin-filtered com.organization.localization

All warnings:

$ i18nGen en.lyaml de.lyaml es.lyaml fr.lyaml ja.lyaml pt-br.lyaml -kotlin com.organization.localization -Wall

A Localization.swift (or Localization.kt) file will be generated if i18nGen succeeds.

Usage with XCode (iOS)

• Add an en.lyaml file to your project/target (DO NOT add this file, or any other .lyaml file, to the Copy Bundle Resources phase):

en:
  hello:
    title: "Hello"
    message: "Hello {{ name }}!"
    done: "Done"

• Add a new Build Rule to your XCode project/target:

cd ${DERIVED_FILE_DIR}
i18nGen ${INPUT_FILE_PATH} `find ${INPUT_FILE_DIR} -name "*.lyaml" | grep -v en.lyaml | tr '\n' ' '` -swift

• Add the en.lyaml file to the Compile Sources phase:

• Add additional language files (DO NOT add these .lyaml files to the Copy Bundle Resources or Compile Sources phase):

es:
  hello:
    title: "Hola"
    message: "¡Hola {{ name }}!"
    done: "Hecho"

pt-br:
  hello:
    title: "Olá"
    message: "Olá {{ name }}!"
    done: "Feito"

Remember to keep these .lyaml files all on the same directory in your target/project.

XCode will only track changes to the en.lyaml file. Remember to clean the project (including your project’s derived data) by pressing ⌥⇧⌘K when modifying any of the other .lyaml files or updating the i18nGen tool!

• Build the project.

• Your strings will be defined under LocalizedStrings and you can access them via the localizedStrings instance:

let namespace = localizedStrings.hello
let alert = UIAlertController(title: namespace.title, message: namespace.message(name: "John"), preferredStyle: .alert)
alert.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: namespace.done, style: .default, handler: { _ in }))

present(alert, animated: true, completion: nil)

• Result:

Usage with XCodeGen (iOS)

• Add an en.lyaml file to your target:

en:
  hello:
    title: "Hello"
    message: "Hello {{ name }}!"
    done: "Done"

• Add your en.lyaml file to your project.yml’s target sources:

sources:
  # ...
  - path: "path/to/folder/en.lyaml"
    buildPhase: sources
    createIntermediateGroups: true

• Add a new Build Rule to your project.yml’s target:

buildRules:
  # ...
  - name: Localize
    filePattern: "*/en.lyaml"
    script: |
            cd ${DERIVED_FILE_DIR}
            i18nGen ${INPUT_FILE_PATH} `find ${INPUT_FILE_DIR} -name "*.lyaml" | grep -v en.lyaml | tr '\n' ' '` -swift
    outputFiles:
      - $(DERIVED_FILE_DIR)/Localization.swift

• Add additional language files (inside the same folder as your en.lyaml):

es:
  hello:
    title: "Hola"
    message: "¡Hola {{ name }}!"
    done: "Hecho"

pt-br:
  hello:
    title: "Olá"
    message: "Olá {{ name }}!"
    done: "Feito"

• Add the extra language files to your project.yml (optional):

sources:
  # ...
  - path: "path/to/folder"
    buildPhase: none
    createIntermediateGroups: true
    excludes:
      - "en.lyaml"

• Regenerate your XCode project:

$ xcodegen generate

• Build your target.

• Your strings will be defined under LocalizedStrings and you can access them via the localizedStrings instance:

let namespace = localizedStrings.hello
let alert = UIAlertController(title: namespace.title, message: namespace.message(name: "John"), preferredStyle: .alert)
alert.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: namespace.done, style: .default, handler: { _ in }))

present(alert, animated: true, completion: nil)

• Result:

Usage with Android Studio (Android)

PS: Our gradle plugin needs to be updated to version 2.0.

• Add these rules to your root-level build.gradle file:

apply plugin: 'com.i18n.community.localization'

buildscript {
    // ...
    repositories {
        // ...
        jcenter()
    }

    dependencies {
        // ...
        classpath "com.i18n.community.localization:GradlePlugin:1.0.+"
    }
}

• Create a lang directory inside your module’s root;

• Create an en.lyaml file inside that lang directory:

en:
  hello:
    title: "Hello"
    message: "Hello {{ name }}!"
    done: "Done"

• Create additional language files

es:
  hello:
    title: "Hola"
    message: "¡Hola {{ name }}!"
    done: "Hecho"

pt-br:
  hello:
    title: "Olá"
    message: "Olá {{ name }}!"
    done: "Feito"

• Build the project.

• Your strings will be defined under LocalizedStrings:

val namespace = LocalizedStrings.hello

AlertDialog.Builder(this)
    .setTitle(namespace.title)
    .setMessage(namespace.message(name = "John"))
    .setPositiveButton(namespace.done) { _, _ -> }
    .create()
    .show()

• Result: