XCodeLocalize

Requirments

Python3.9+

Installation

Using pip:

pip3 install xcodelocalize 

Аlso available installations via poetry or .whl file from github releases

Usage

Prepare your xcode project

1. Create Localizable.strings file and fill it with strings you want to localize.

   /* optional description */
   "[key]" = "[string]";
   
   /* Example: */
   "welcome text" = "Welcome to XCodelocalize";
   

2. Go to the project settings, add the desired languages.

3. Create localization (.strings) files for all selected languages.

There is a nice tutorial about ios app localization by kodeco (the new raywenderlich.com)

Localize

cd to project root folder and run

xcodelocalize [OPTIONS]

or

python3 -m xcodelocalize [OPTIONS]

Options

• --base-language: code of the language from which all strings will be translated. [default: 'en']

• --override / --no-override: a boolean value that indicates whether strings that already exist in the file will be translated. Retranslate if override, skip if no-override. [default: no-override]

• --format-base / --no-format-base: sort base file strings by key. [default: no-format-base]

• --file: Names of the strings files to be translated. Multiple files can be specified. If not specified, all files will be translated. [default: None]

  Example:

  xcodelocalize --file InfoPlist
  xcodelocalize --file InfoPlist --file MainStoryboard --file Localizable 
  

• --key: Keys of the strings to be translated. Multiple keys can be specified. If not specified, all keys will be translated. [default: None]

• --language: Language codes of the strings files to be translated. Multiple language codes can be specified. If not specified, all files will be translated. [default: None]

• --log-level: One from [progress|errors|group|string]. [default: group]

• --help: Show info

Features:

• The tool looks for .strings files in the current directory recursively, grouping and translating fully automatically. You can even run it in the root directory and localize all your projects at once.

• Regular .strings, Info.plist, storyboards and intentdefinition files are supported.

• Formated strings with %@ are supported.

• Multiline strings are supported.

• Comments are supported and will be copied to all files. Comments must not contain substrings in localizable strings format with comment, such as /*[comment]*/ "[key]" = "[value]";.

Automation

You can go to Target -> Build Phases -> New Run Script Phase in your xcode project and paste xcodelocalize there. It will localize necessary strings during build and your localization files will always be up to date.

---

Bonus

Nice swift extension that allows you to do this

"welcome text".localized // will return "Welcome to XCodelocalize"

extension String {
    var localized: String {
        NSLocalizedString(self, tableName: nil, bundle: .main, value: self, comment: "")
    }
    
    func localized(_ arguments: String...) -> String {
        String(format: self.localized, locale: Locale.current, arguments: arguments)
    }
}