Localization setup

Localization Setup Generator

Generate internationalization (i18n) infrastructure for multi-language support in iOS/macOS apps.

When This Skill Activates

• User wants to localize their app for multiple languages
• User mentions i18n, internationalization, or localization
• User asks about String Catalogs or .strings files
• User wants to support RTL (right-to-left) languages

Pre-Generation Checks

Before generating, verify:

1. Existing Localization

   # Check for existing localization files
   find . -name "*.xcstrings" -o -name "Localizable.strings" 2>/dev/null | head -5
   find . -name "*.lproj" -type d 2>/dev/null | head -5
   

2. Deployment Target

   # String Catalogs require iOS 16+ / macOS 13+
   grep -r "IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET\|MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET" *.xcodeproj 2>/dev/null
   

3. Project Structure

   # Find project for adding localization
   find . -name "*.xcodeproj" | head -1
   

Configuration Questions

1. Localization Approach

• String Catalogs (Recommended, iOS 16+) - Modern, visual editor in Xcode
• Legacy .strings - Traditional approach, all iOS versions

2. Initial Languages

• English (en) - default
• Which additional languages? (e.g., es, de, fr, ja, zh-Hans)

3. Features

• Pluralization - Handle "1 item" vs "2 items"
• Device-specific - Different strings for iPhone/iPad/Mac
• SwiftUI Preview - Preview in different locales

Generated Files

String Catalogs (Recommended)

Resources/
└── Localizable.xcstrings    # String catalog with all translations

Supporting Code

Sources/Localization/
├── LocalizedStrings.swift   # Type-safe string access
├── LocalizationManager.swift # Runtime language switching
└── LocalizedPreview.swift   # SwiftUI preview helpers

Key Features

Type-Safe String Access

// Generated enum for type-safe access
enum L10n {
    static let appName = String(localized: "app_name")
    static let welcomeMessage = String(localized: "welcome_message")

    enum Settings {
        static let title = String(localized: "settings_title")
        static let language = String(localized: "settings_language")
    }
}

// Usage
Text(L10n.appName)
Text(L10n.Settings.title)

Pluralization

// In String Catalog, define plural rules
// key: "items_count"
// variations:
//   - zero: "No items"
//   - one: "1 item"
//   - other: "%lld items"

Text(String(localized: "items_count \(count)",
            defaultValue: "\(count) items"))

String Interpolation

// In String Catalog:
// key: "greeting"
// value: "Hello, %@!"

let name = "Alice"
Text(String(localized: "greeting \(name)"))

Runtime Language Switching

// Preview in different locale
struct ContentView_Previews: PreviewProvider {
    static var previews: some View {
        ContentView()
            .environment(\.locale, Locale(identifier: "es"))
    }
}

Integration Steps

1. Add String Catalog

1. In Xcode: File > New > File
2. Choose "String Catalog"
3. Name it "Localizable.xcstrings"
4. Add to your app target

2. Add Supported Languages

1. Select project in navigator
2. Info tab > Localizations
3. Click + to add languages

3. Migrate Existing Strings

If migrating from .strings files:

1. Right-click .strings file
2. "Migrate to String Catalog..."

4. Use in SwiftUI

// Automatic localization
Text("Hello, World!")  // Uses String Catalog automatically

// Explicit localized string
Text(String(localized: "custom_key"))

// With type-safe enum (generated)
Text(L10n.welcomeMessage)

5. Use in UIKit

label.text = String(localized: "hello_world")
// or
label.text = NSLocalizedString("hello_world", comment: "Greeting")

Best Practices

Key Naming Conventions

// Good: Descriptive, hierarchical
"settings.appearance.theme"
"onboarding.step1.title"
"error.network.connection_failed"

// Avoid: Vague or hardcoded text as key
"button1"
"Hello, World!"

Comments for Translators

String(localized: "delete_confirmation",
       comment: "Alert message asking user to confirm deletion")

Formatting

// Numbers - Use FormatStyle
Text(price, format: .currency(code: "USD"))

// Dates - Use FormatStyle
Text(date, format: .dateTime.month().day())

// Lists - Use ListFormatStyle
Text(items, format: .list(type: .and))

RTL Support

// Automatic with SwiftUI
// For manual layout adjustments:
.environment(\.layoutDirection, .rightToLeft)

Testing Localization

In Xcode

1. Edit Scheme > Run > Options
2. Set "App Language" to test language
3. Set "App Region" for number/date formatting

In SwiftUI Previews

#Preview {
    ContentView()
        .environment(\.locale, Locale(identifier: "ja"))
}

Export for Translation

1. Product > Export Localizations...
2. Share .xliff files with translators
3. Import translated .xliff files

References

• String Catalogs
• Localization Guide
• Formatting Numbers and Dates