Externalizing UI Text Resources

Definitions

• **Internationalization (i18n)**: The process of designing applications to support multiple languages and regions without requiring changes to the codebase.
• **Localization (l10n)**: The process of adapting an application for a specific region or language, including translation of text and modification of graphics, formats, and layouts.
• **Resource Files**: Files that contain text strings used in the UI, typically in a key-value format.

Externalizing Text Resources

1. Identify all UI text elements that need localization.
2. Extract the text into resource files (e.g., JSON, XML, or properties files).
3. Use keys to reference text in your application instead of hardcoding strings.
4. Provide translations for each key in the respective language resource files.
5. Load the appropriate resource file based on the user's language preference.

Example Code

                    // en.json
                    {
                        "greeting": "Hello",
                        "farewell": "Goodbye"
                    }

                    // es.json
                    {
                        "greeting": "Hola",
                        "farewell": "Adiós"
                    }
                    

In your application, you can reference these strings like so:

                    const language = 'en'; // or 'es' for Spanish
                    const translations = require(`./${language}.json`);
                    console.log(translations.greeting);
                    // Output: Hello
                    

Consider the Following

• Always use keys instead of hardcoded strings.
• Organize resource files logically (by feature or section).
• Keep translations up to date with UI changes.
• Test UI with different languages to ensure proper layout and formatting.
• Utilize translation management tools when necessary.