npm install --save i18n-lightbower install --save i18n-lightMy main motivation in developing i18n-light was to create a localization module which enabled a developer to use the same storage (dictionaries) for both Back-end and Front-end code, thus having localized phrases more consistent and organized.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
Dictionary |
A JSON file which i18n-light will use for localization. |
Dicionary Contexts |
Is the JSON of a locale. This reside within a dictionary and is this Object which i18n-light will be using for localization. |
Dictionary Path |
Is the path which i18n-light need to travel through the dictionary context. |
Locale |
A name for a dictionary. |
app
├── dict/
| ├── en.json
| └── it.json
└── server.js
{
"common": {
"logo": "i18n-light"
},
"home": {
"logout": "Logout",
"loggedin": "Hello %s",
"messages": {
"zero": "No messages",
"one": "1 message",
"many": "%s messages"
}
}
}{
"home": {
"logout": "Esci",
"loggedin": "Ciao %s",
"messages": {
"zero": "0 messaggi",
"one": "1 messaggio",
"many": "%s messaggi"
}
}
}var i18n = require('i18n-light')
i18n.configure({
defaultLocale: 'en',
dir: path.join(__dirname, 'dict'),
extension: '.json'
})var express = require('express')
, app = express()
, i18n = require('i18n-light')
...
i18n.configure({
dir: path.join(__dirname, 'dict'),
defaultLocale: 'en',
fallback: true,
cache: true,
extension: 'json',
refresh: false
})
app.use(i18n.init())
app.get('/', function(req, res) {
i18n.setLocale('en')
console.log(i18n.__('common.logo')) // => 'i18n-light'
console.log(i18n.__('home.logout')) // => 'Logout'
console.log(i18n.__('home.loggedin', 'Tom')) // => 'Hello Tom'
console.log(i18n.__('home.messages', 2)) // => '2 messages'
})
app.get('/it', function(req, res) {
i18n.setLocale('it')
console.log(i18n.__('common.logo')) // Will fallback to en => 'i18n-light'
console.log(i18n.__('home.logout')) // => 'Esci'
console.log(i18n.__('home.loggedin', 'Tom')) // => 'Ciao Tom'
console.log(i18n.__('home.messages', 2)) // => '2 messaggi'
})
...
require('http').createServer(app).listen(8080)...
<body>
<span><%=i18n.__('common.logo')%></span> <!-- i18n-light -->
</body>
...| Name | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
defaultLocale |
String |
Required |
The locale which i18-light will fallback if a dictionary path isn't resolvable in the current dictionary. |
dir |
String |
N/A | The directory path where the dictionaries will reside. |
context |
Object |
N/A | Instead of using dir to instruct i18n-light from where to retrieve the dictionaries, you can pass dictionaries directly through the context. Note: i18n-light will only look for this attribute if dir isn't specified. More information below. |
fallback |
Boolean |
true |
Indicates whether i18n-light should fallback to the defaultLocale dictionary context if the path is invalid in the dictionary context of the current locale. |
refresh |
Boolean |
false |
Indicates whether i18n-light should retrieve an update of the dictionary context (true) or keep using what is already cached (false). |
cache |
Boolean |
true |
Indicates whether i18n-light should cache dictionary contexts (true) or not (false). |
extension |
String |
.js |
The extension of the dictionary files. |
resolve |
Function |
null |
Instead of using dir or context you can use this function to code your own resolver for your dictionary files. Note that i18n-light will only use this function if your i18n-light instance is not configured using either context or dir. More info on how to use here |
Method used to configure (initiate) an instance of i18n-light. Take a look at the options section to understand what options it accepts.
...
i18n.configure({
dir: path.join(__dirname, 'dict'),
defaultLocale: 'en',
fallback: true
})
...Middleware method. This is the method used to integrate i18n-light instance to Express. Take a look at the usage section example to see how this can be easily done. This method makes your i18n-light instance accessible from:
res.i18nres.locals.i18n- making your instances accessible from your views.
...
app.use(i18n.init())
...Method used to reset the current locale to the default one. It has an optional parameter refresh which when its true i18n-light updates the dictionary context of the default locale.
i18n.configure({
defaultLocale: 'en'
...
})
...
i18n.setLocale('it') //default locale is now 'it'
...
i18n.resetLocale() //default locale is now 'en'Method used to change the current locale of your i18n-light instance to locale. It has an optional argument refresh which when its true, i18n-light updates the dictionary context of locale.
i18n.configure({
defaultLocale: 'en'
...
})
...
i18n.setLocale('it') //default locale is now 'it'Method used to get the name of the current locale.
i18n.configure({
defaultLocale: 'en'
...
})
...
i18n.getLocale() // => en
...
i18n.setLocale('it')
...
i18n.getLocale() // => itMethod used to check whether a dictionary context of locale is cached or not.
i18n.configure({
defaultLocale: 'en'
...
})
...
i18n.isCached('en') // => true
...
i18n.isCached('it') // => false
...
i18n.setLocale('it')
...
i18n.isCached('it') // => trueMethod used to change the default locale of your i18n-light instance to locale.
i18n.configure({
defaultLocale: 'en'
...
})
...
i18n.getLocale() // => en
...
i18n.setDefaultLocale('it') // => true
...
i18n.getLocale('it') // => itMethod used to refresh the dictionary context of locale.
Method used to clear the cache of your i18n-light instance.
i18n.configure({
defaultLocale: 'en'
...
})
...
i18n.setLocale('it') // => en
...
i18n.isCached('en') // => true
i18n.isCached('it') // => true
...
i18n.clearCache()
...
i18n.isCached('en') // => false
i18n.isCached('it') // => falseIt has an optional argument refresh which when its true, i18n-light refreshes the dictionary context of the current locale.
i18n.configure({
defaultLocale: 'en'
...
})
...
i18n.setLocale('it') // => en
...
i18n.isCached('en') // => true
i18n.isCached('it') // => true
...
i18n.clearCache(true)
...
i18n.isCached('en') // => false
i18n.isCached('it') // => trueMethod used by i18n-light to convert path to the localized phrase within the current dictionary context of the current locale (or default locale if path is invalid and fallback === true).
This method makes use of sprintf-js, enabling you to include placeholders in your dictionary phrases (see example).
Note that if path is not resolvable i18n-light will return the path itself.
{
"home": {
"login": "Login",
"welcome": "Welcome %s"
}
}...
i18n.__('home.login') // => 'Login'
i18n.__('home.welcome', 'Tom') // => 'Welcome Tom'
...Method used by i18n-light to convert path to a quantitative localized phrase within the current dictionary context of the current locale (or default locale if path is invalid and fallback === true).
This method makes use of sprintf-js, enabling you to include placeholders in your dictionary phrases (see example).
Note that if path is not resolvable i18n-light will return the path itself.
Also note that the last argument (count) is used only by i18n-light and not by sprintf-js.
If count === 0 or is a String it will append .zero to path.
If count === 1 it will append .one to path.
If count > 1 it will append .many to path.
{
"home": {
"messages": {
"zero": "No messages",
"one": "1 message",
"many": "%s messages"
}
}
}...
i18n.__n('home.messages', 0) // => 'No messages'
i18n.__n('home.messages', 1) // => '1 Message'
i18n.__n('home.messages', 3) // => 'undefined messages'
i18n.__n('home.messages', 3, 3) // => '3 messages'
...As already mentioned in the options section, i18n-light will only use this functionality if it hasn't been configured with dir or context options. When a context of a locale is needed, i18n-light will call this function with the locale name passed as the parameter. This function should then return a dictionary context in the form of a JSON.
i18n.configure({
defaultLocale: 'en',
resolve: function(locale){
$.ajax({
type: 'GET',
url: 'dict/' + locale + '.js',
dataType: 'json',
success: function(data) {
return data
},
async: false
});
}
...
})Intead of using the dir option to point to the dictionaries directory, you have the possibility to inject your own dictionary contexts during the configuration of i18n-light instance using context option. As already stated, in order for i18n-light to use the context option, the dir option needs to be omitted.
The following example shows how can this be done using brfs for browserify.
var i18n = require('i18n-light');
i18n.configure({
defaultLocale: document.documentElement.lang,
context: { 'en': JSON.parse(require('fs')
.readFileSync('en.js', 'utf-8'))
, 'it': JSON.parse(require('fs')
.readFileSync('it.js', 'utf-8'))
}
})