I have an Android project that I developed one year ago. I didn't think in do the project multi-language and now I need support it.
There are any easy way to detect all strings and generate the XML file? Or I need modify the project string for string?
The project is developed in Eclipse.
Android provides a very simple way to localize apps: string resources.
You need to provide several strings.xml files.
Each in a directory called /res/values-xy, where xy is the language (i.e.: es, fr, en, de, it, ...).
Then just refer these strings in your project, like R.string.my_string_name (in Java) or #string/my_string_name (in xml)
For reference: http://developer.android.com/training/basics/supporting-devices/languages.html
[EDIT]
Same goes for arrays: just use /res/values-xy/arrays.xml
Note: the names strings.xml and arrays.xml are just conventional ones can be changed to anything you like better.
AFAIK You need to modify the strings in your project manually. If you have hard-coded strings in your layouts then you can use Lint to find out all the hard-coded strings. Put them then into values/strings and the translation should go to the respective folder of each language.
EDIT:
If you're running Eclipse you can use the search feature to help you track all your hard-coded String. Check this topic
Related
So, i kind of created a monster. Built an android game for few years and used lots of hardcoded strings. Now i want to support different languages. My questions - is there an automatic way to create these resources?
for example tell Android studio for all the "hard coded" warnings apply extract string resource.
I aw aware of the inspect code that show you localization warnings, i am looking for a way to automate the fix
AFAIK, it's not possible to fix that automatically. You need to press Alt+Ctrl+Shift+i and type hardcoded strings. After completion of the finding process, manually create them in strings.xml.
I am attaching a link to site that will convert your string.xml to different language you want and then download translated string.xml in your stings folder, it will translate each string step by step, if this is what you want, hope it helps
https://asrt.gluege.boerde.de
I am a bit noob in Android and recently I found out that I can use the predefined string that Android provides as #android:string/cancel or #android:string/ok. At first I thought it was a good idea to use them because is a way to reuse code, but now I am not so sure about that.
What if somebody with a device configured with a language that I don't support install my app?
I assume that the app will use a default language, probably english, but those string from #android:string will get translated to the user's language, so he will end up with a mix of languages.
It this true? What do you think about use #android:string?
Thanks!
EDIT: Apparently my question hasn't been understood properly. I am NOT asking about how to support different languages. My question is about the convenience of use strings defined on #string:android, if it is correct to use them or can be lead to undesirable situation like a mix up of languages in the same application.
To ensure that your strings are appearing properly on devices configured with different languages, you'll want to create different values directories for different languages. For example, your default string values would be kept under values/strings.xml and French string values would be kept under values-fr/strings.xml.
The Android Developer website gives you plenty of information for supporting different languages in your application. http://developer.android.com/training/basics/supporting-devices/languages.html
The android: values (strings, icons, themes, etc.) will differ between devices and Android versions. If you want to use them, it's safest to copy them into your project. So for strings, you wouldn't have to worry about partial translation.
In the ressource folder of your app (res), ther is a folder "values" in it, and in this folder is the string ressource xml (strings.xml).
Usually, your app selects the strings from this file.
But you can add other value folders like this: Just create a new folder and name it "values-countryCode", for example "values-ch" for Switzerland ;)
Your app automaticly chooses the right string ressource, depending on your device's langague settings. If the langague of your device isn't available, it just takes the sting ressource of the default "values" folder.
A list if the country-codes is here.
Further information can be found here.
Hope I helped, and this is what you're looking for!
In our multi-platform projects, we have multiple localization files with different notation and file format (iOS .string, Android .xml, etc.).
Now we want to localize them in many languages, but in the different files, there are many equal strings. so anybody knows of a good way to consolidate these strings-files to one big localization file, hand this to the translation agency and then splut them back up into the different files?
Anybody knows a good approach?
I've worked on an iOS/Android project with 20 translations, and we used an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of all the translatable strings. The *.strings files for XCode and the *.xml files for Eclipse are then automagically generated using my custom VBA macro.
I've put an example Excel spreadsheet with VBA macro here:
http://members.home.nl/bas.de.reuver/files/multilanguage.zip
You can convert your existing .strings or .xml files to spreadsheet format (key value pairs, tab separated) with the tool below. Then you can send the spreadsheet to your translators, they fill in a column of translated values, send it back and you can simply generate your new translation files.
http://members.home.nl/bas.de.reuver/files/stringsconvert.html
EDIT in 2021
The homepage is offline now, but I've added the Excel/spreadsheet example on github:
https://github.com/BdR76/Manage-translations
Was in the same situation with my app about a month ago.
If you use SmoothLocalize for your localization (which I would recommend as they are really easy and super cheap), you don't have to pay for repeat strings on the 2nd order. So you would pay the full 4c/word for your iOS localization, then just paste in your order number for the Android localization and you don't have to pay to translate them again.
Also if they are EXACTLY the same, they will convert a .strings to a .xml for you so you would only have to do one order, just email them.
I am a newbie for android and really need you all helps to complete my task ^^. I am currently doing a project which is quite similar to android localization. However, there is another native language that is not stated down in language or a language-region combination that provided by the android setting. Is there any other ways that i can do to make the application retrieve different strings when different language selected?
I have try to create different names of values folder but it doesn't work when the folder named as "values-penan".
Thanks if anyone could help!
I have an app with support for several different languages.
Now lets say I want to add a new feature, which will usually will require new string resources to be added.
What is the (Or is there) way to add new string resources that will be added automatically to all the localization strings files? (Means i'll just need to translate the content of the string and not to create new one with the same key for each localization file)
Because it dosen't make any sense to copy-paste it manually when you have a lot of localization files...
If you follow Android localization rules, there isin't any other way other than manually adding to each language strings.xml file. You can script this but then you will have to write the script. So, my suggestion is to bite the bullet and do it.
As you said if there are a lot of files, then scripting it is best way, even then you may have to manually add the localized string values to each file.
What you refer to is common Localization problem. It is not just strings.xml and Android platform related.
As you might be guessing, people actually found ways to resolve it. Typically, you will send just the English file to translators (translation vendors) and they will update it using Translation Memory software.
Or if you are independent Software Developer, you may want to use some crowd-sourcing platform for your translations, like Launchpad, BabelZilla or Crowdin. These platforms also act as Translation Memory, so you won't have to manually synchronize individual language files.