Internationalization (i18n) in Angular

What You’ll Learn 📚

• Understanding the core concepts of i18n
• Key terminology and definitions
• Step-by-step examples from simple to complex
• Common questions and troubleshooting tips

Introduction to Internationalization

Internationalization, often abbreviated as i18n (because there are 18 letters between ‘i’ and ‘n’), is the process of designing your application so it can be adapted to various languages and regions without engineering changes. In Angular, i18n is a powerful feature that allows your app to support multiple languages seamlessly.

Key Terminology

• Locale: A set of parameters that defines the user’s language, country, and any special variant preferences.
• Translation: The process of converting text from one language to another.
• Localization (l10n): The process of adapting software for a specific region or language by translating text and adding locale-specific components.

Getting Started with a Simple Example

Let’s start with the simplest example of internationalizing a ‘Hello World’ application in Angular.

# Step 1: Create a new Angular project
ng new i18n-example
cd i18n-example

// Step 2: Open src/app/app.component.html and replace with:
Hello World

# Step 3: Add i18n support
ng add @angular/localize

# Step 4: Extract i18n messages
gx extract-i18n

  Hello World
  Bonjour le monde 

ng build --localize

Progressively Complex Examples

Example 2: Using i18n with Pluralization

Let’s handle pluralization, which is crucial for languages with different plural forms.

// In your HTML file
{count, plural, =0 {No messages} =1 {One message} other {{count} messages}}

Example 3: Dynamic Parameters

What if you need to include dynamic content in your translations? Let’s see how to handle that.

// In your HTML file
Hello {{ userName }}, welcome back!

Example 4: Full Application Localization

Now, let’s see how to localize an entire application with multiple components and services.

# Step 1: Create translation files for each language
gx extract-i18n --output-path src/locale

  Welcome to our application!
  Bienvenue dans notre application! 

Common Questions and Answers

1. What is the difference between i18n and l10n?

   i18n is about making your app adaptable to different languages without code changes, while l10n is about translating and adapting the app for a specific locale.

2. How do I handle right-to-left (RTL) languages?

   Angular supports RTL languages by setting the dir attribute to rtl in your HTML or CSS.

3. Can I use i18n with Angular Material?

   Yes, Angular Material supports i18n, and you can use the same i18n attributes in Material components.

4. Why is my translation not showing?

   Ensure that your translation files are correctly formatted and included in the build process.

5. How do I switch languages dynamically?

   Use a service to reload the application with a different locale configuration.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If your translations are not appearing, check that your messages.xlf file is correctly formatted and that you’ve built your application with the correct locale.

Remember, practice makes perfect! Try creating a small project and experiment with different locales and translations.

Practice Exercises

• Create a new Angular component and add i18n support for at least two languages.
• Implement pluralization in a different context, such as a shopping cart.
• Experiment with dynamic parameters and see how they affect translations.

For more information, check out the official Angular i18n documentation.