Cross Platform Localization Strategies

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Twitter: @loriblalonde

Email: [email protected]

Blog: solola.ca

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Appeal to a Broader Market

Shared App Logic in C#

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Xamarin Android String Resources

Strings stored in XML file(s) in values directory

Place XML files in values directory for each supported language code


Xamarin Android Image Resources

Images with text should be localized

Set Image BuildAction as AndroidResource

Place localized images in drawabledirectory for each supported language code and device resolution


Xamarin.Android: Accessing Resources

In layout file:Strings - @string/[id]

Images - @drawable/[id]

In code: textView.Text = Resources.GetString(Resource.String.greeting);

imageView.SetImageResource(Resource.Drawable.stopsign);


Xamarin iOS String Resources


Strings stored in .strings files in .lprojdirectories

Base.lproj – default language

<languagecode>.lproj directory –supported language

.strings file format: “key” = “value”;


Xamarin iOS Image Resources


Place localized images in respective .lproj directories

Set Image BuildAction as BundleResource


Xamarin.iOS: Accessing Resources

//app display namevar title = NSBundle.MainBundle

.ObjectForInfoDictionary("CFBundleDisplayName"); AppTitleLabel.Text = title.ToString();

//how to get the localized string in codeHelloLabel.Text = NSBundle.MainBundle.LocalizedString("hello", "comment");

//how to get localized image in codeStopImage.Image = UIImage.FromBundle("stopsign");


Escape Characters


Android and iOS string resources must use the following escape characters:

\" quote

\\ backslash

\n newline


Universal Windows Platform (UWP) Resources

Resource file (.resw) localization

Compiled into the application package

Place resource files in named directory for each supported language code


Resw File Structure


Name/Value pair. Optionally append a qualifier on key.

Qualifier represents the element property that will be set to the resource value

UWP supports translations for app display name and description


UWP: Accessing Resources


In layout file:

Strings – set x:Uid of element to resource

Images – set source to path of default image

In code: var resourceLoader = new Windows.ApplicationModel.Resources.ResourceLoader();string res = resourceLoader.GetString("DisplayName");


Localizing Application Metadata



Drawbacks


Maintain separate set of resource files for each platform

Platform-specific code needed to access localized resources


Leverage .NET Localization

Create a Portable Class Library that will contain the resource (.resx) files

Leverage ResourceManager to load the strings

Create a Translation Helper class to retrieve translations by language and key

Use Reflection to retrieve handle to Assembly


Resx File Structure


Name/Value pair

Reference in code using ResourceManager

Can leverage data binding to retrieve translation


Supported across all platforms (iOS, Android, Windows)

Only 1 set of resource files to maintain

3rd party tools available such as ResX Manager, making it easy for translators to work with

Supported in Xamarin.Forms, with data binding support

Advantages


Drawbacks


Application name will not be localized

Workaround: include native strings file in each language for the application name only


Download translations for the selected language from your own web service in JSON or XML format

Logic can be encapsulated in Portable Class Library

Deserialize result into a Translations collection (Key/Value pair) Use Reflection to retrieve handle to Assembly

Create a Translation Helper class to retrieve translations by language and key

Custom Web Service Provider


Supported across all platforms

Only download the translation file that is needed

Supported in Xamarin.Forms

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Advantages


Drawbacks


Application name will not be localized

Dependent on network connectivity when switching languages

Difficult for translators to work with JSON


General Considerations


Design your app to support multiple languages

Never hardcode strings

Store strings in language resource files

Avoid string concatenation

Ensure your UI is flexible to adapt to variable string length


Additional Resources


Xamarin Localization Documentation

iOS: http://bitly.com/XamiOSLocalization

Android: http://bitly.com/XamAndLocalization

Xamarin.Forms: http://bitly.com/XamFormsLocalization

http://bitly.com/XamiOSLocalization

http://bitly.com/XamAndLocalization

http://bitly.com/XamFormsLocalization

Twitter: @loriblalonde

Email: [email protected]

Blog: solola.ca

westerndevs.com

@westerndevs

Cross Platform Localization Strategies

Software

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