Internationalization in Swift PDF

Internationalization Internationalization is the practice of architecting your Swift app to accommodate various languages and cultural contexts. This approach ensures that users from diverse global backgrounds can interact with your app seamlessly, free from linguistic or cultural obstacles. Intern...

Internationalization Internationalization is the practice of architecting your Swift app to accommodate various languages and cultural contexts. This approach ensures that users from diverse global backgrounds can interact with your app seamlessly, free from linguistic or cultural obstacles. Internationalization is the practice of structuring and building an app to allow effortless adaptation to various languages and locales without necessitating modifications to the core codebase. It is also abbreviated as i18n. Let’s first clarify the distinction between localization and internationalization: Localization: This process involves translating your app's content into multiple languages to make it accessible to speakers of those languages. Internationalization: This is the practice of designing your app's architecture and codebase to be flexible enough to accommodate various languages, regional differences, and cultural nuances without requiring structural changes. Here are the key aspects: 1. Localizable strings: Use NSLocalizedString for text that needs translation. 2. Formatting: Use locale-aware formatters for dates, numbers, and currencies. 3. Right-to-left support: Ensure your UI adapts to right-to-left languages. 4. Asset catalogs: Organize localized images and other resources. 5. Storyboards/XIBs: Use Base Internationalization to separate text from UI layout. 6. Pluralization: Handle plural forms correctly for different languages. 7. Localization workflow: Use.strings files and tools like Xcode's localization features. Key Benefits of Internationalization in Swift 1. Reach More People: More users: Supporting many languages helps you get users from different places. Happier users: People like using apps in their own language. 2. Be Respectful: Show you care: Using different languages shows you respect all cultures. Avoid mistakes: Understanding cultural differences helps prevent offending anyone. 3. Make It Easy for Everyone: Include everyone: Make your app usable for people with different needs. Follow rules: Meet standards for making apps accessible. 4. Grow Your Business: New markets: Easily sell your app in new countries. Stand out: Have an advantage over apps that don't use multiple languages. 5. Make Users Happy: Keep people interested: Users like apps that "speak their language."  Build trust: Show users you care about their needs. 6. Better Online Presence: Show up in searches: Your app can appear in search results in different countries. Be seen more: Use local words to help more people find your app. Functionality of internationalization in swift 1. Translating text: - Changing words and phrases into different languages - Handling plural forms correctly - Making sure translations make sense in context 2. Adapting to different cultures: - Showing dates and times in the right format - Formatting numbers and money correctly - Using the right measurement units (like miles or kilometers) - Supporting languages that read from right to left 3. Managing language resources: - Keeping translations in separate files - Using the right language files based on user settings - Changing language without restarting the app 4. Adjusting the app's look: - Changing layouts to fit different languages - Using the right fonts for each language - Placing images in culturally appropriate spots 5. Handling user choices: - Letting users pick their preferred language - Remembering language choices for next time 6. Making the app accessible: - Ensuring the app works well with tools for users with disabilities - Translating accessibility features By doing these things, you can make your app friendly and easy to use for people from different countries and cultures. Why we need Internationalization? When we make apps in Swift, it's really important to make them work well for people who speak different languages and live in different places. This is called internationalization. Here's why it matters:  1. More People Can Use Your App Your app can reach people all over the world. People like using apps in their own language. 2. Being Nice to Different Cultures It shows you care about different ways of life. It helps avoid mistakes that might upset people. 3. Making Apps for Everyone More people can use your app, including those who need extra help. Some places have rules about making apps work in different languages. 4. Good for Business You can make more money if more people use your app. People will think better of your app if it works well in their language. 5. Ready for the Future Your app will be ready for changes in how people use technology. Swift has special tools to help make apps work in different languages: 1. Ways to change words to different languages 2. Tools to show numbers and dates the right way for different places By doing this, your app can be used and liked by more people around the world. What problem does the internationalisation solves in swift? Making Apps Work for Everyone The main thing internationalization does in Swift is make sure your app can be used by people from all over the world. Without it, your app might only work well for people who speak one language or live in one place. This could mean a lot of people can't use your app. Here are the main problems internationalization helps fix: 1. Language Issues: It lets you change your app into different languages, so people who don't speak your language can still use it. 2. Different Ways of Life: People in different places have different habits and likes. Internationalization helps your app fit in with how people live in different places. 3. Tricky Tech Stuff: Some things are hard to get right, like showing dates or money in the right way for each place. Internationalization gives you tools to help with these tricky parts. By using internationalization, you can make your app friendly and easy to use for people all around the world. Implementing Internationalization in Swift: A Step-by-Step Guide 1. In the project Navigator, choose the project Name -> Info. Under Localization, select the use Base Internalization checkbox if not enabled Click on the + Button and choose the languages in which app is going to be localized 2. Creating Localization files for different languages To Localize the app, we need to create Localization files for each languages. In your Xcode project, go to the ‘File’ menu, select ‘New’ -> ‘File,’ and choose the ‘Strings  File’ template. Name it Localizable.strings and add it to your project. Then, create localized versions of this file for each language, such as Localizable.strings (English) and Localizable.strings (Spanish) In these files created, define key-value pairs for the strings you want to localize. For example: 3. Using String Extension for Localization The provided Swift extension allows you to retrieve the localized version of a string. It checks the user’s preferred app language and loads the corresponding Localizable.strings file This extension checks the user’s selected language stored in userDefaults and based on the language, it loads the appropriate Localizable.strings file. If the language is not found, we set the default value as “EN” which is English. The user selected language value is stored into the userDefaults. Whenever there is a change in the users language preference, the value is stored into the userDefaults. 4. Using Localized Strings in ViewControllers: The localized strings can be assigned by using LocalizedStringKey.localized the below code is an example of using Localized string Let’s test the Localization in the application. Launch the app The below is a sample language selection page, where the user can choose his preferred language. Whenever there is a change in the language preference, the value is stored into the UserDefaults. The below is a sample code The below is a screenshot of welcome page before and after localization Note: Since the Localization is locally maintained, whenever there is a change in the localization string or whenever there is a new language added, the application must be redeployed to make the changes reflected in the application.