Xcode .strings Localization

Replexica supports Xcode's traditional .strings format, making it easy to manage translations for your iOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS apps that use this format.

Setting Up

To use Replexica with .strings files, configure your i18n.json as follows:

i18n.json

{
  "version": 1.2,
  "locale": {
    "source": "en",
    "targets": ["es", "fr", "de"]
  },
  "buckets": {
    "xcode-strings": {
      "include": [
        "MyApp/[locale].lproj/Localizable.strings"
      ]
    }
  }
}

TIP

Note the use of [locale] in the path, which Replexica will replace with the appropriate locale code.

How It Works

The .strings file is a simple key-value format that Xcode uses for localization. Each line in a .strings file typically looks like this:

"key" = "value";

Replexica parses this format, translates the values, and generates new .strings files for each target language.

Translating

To translate your .strings files, run:

npx replexica@latest i18n

Replexica will process your source .strings file and create or update the target language files.

Features

1. Comments: Replexica preserves comments in your .strings files.

2. Special Characters: The loader handles escaping and unescaping of special characters like newlines and quotes.

3. Incremental Updates: Only new or changed strings are translated, saving time and processing power.

Example

Here's an example of a .strings file:

// General
"greeting" = "Hello!";
"welcome_user" = "Welcome, %@!";
// Plurals (handled in .stringsdict)
"items_count" = "%d items";
// Formatting
"complex_format" = "User %1$@ has %2$d points and $%3$.2f balance";

Pro Tips

1. Pluralization: For plural forms, it's recommended to use .stringsdict files alongside .strings. Replexica supports both formats.

2. Consistency: Use Replexica's lockfile feature to ensure consistency across translations and prevent accidental changes to existing translations.

3. Integration with Xcode: After translation, you can directly use these .strings files in your Xcode project. Xcode will automatically use the correct file based on the user's language settings.

4. Multiple Files: If your project uses multiple .strings files, you can include them all in your i18n.json config:

   "xcode-strings": {
     "include": [
       "MyApp/[locale].lproj/Localizable.strings",
       "MyApp/[locale].lproj/InfoPlist.strings"
     ]
   }

5. Formatting: Replexica preserves the formatting of your .strings files, including spaces and line breaks.

By leveraging these features, you can maintain a robust, scalable localization setup for your Xcode projects using the traditional .strings format, seamlessly integrating with your existing development workflow.

For more information on other Xcode localization formats supported by Replexica, check out the documentation for .xcstrings and .stringsdict files.