Localising nib files.

Question

Hi Guys

I am writing a app which has about 10 nib files for conveying different UI messages and for taking user input. I want to know how to localize these messages that appear on my custom sheets. Is there any way i can have a single file with generic strings and depending on language it replaces the generic string with string in that particular language. also i want to know how to load dynamic strings into messages in custom sheets like file names or the number of files selected etc.

i have taken a look at ibtool but doesnt it duplicate the nib files by creating .lproj files for different languages? doing this simply makes the size of my app huge.

Thanks

Answer 1

Standard practice is to have a nib for each language.

Your nibs shouldn't be more than 50-100 KB unless they're storing some uncompressed bitmap images, in which case you should load those images in code. Some components, like NSPathControl, will store uncompressed icons in the nib and add a few MB to the nib.

If you have a large .xib file open it in TextEdit and it should be obvious what's taking up all the space.

Answer 2

In addition to what Darren already posted, I would like to note that if you know most of your users are going to use English (or whatever the overwhelmingly most common language is), many developers will offer an English-only download that doesn't contain the nibs for other languages (thus reducing app size), and then also provide a multilingual download if desired.

Also, if you're programmatically generated UI elements, you'll want to take a look at the information for Localizable.strings, which is a text file containing translations for strings used programatically.

Answer 3

At a Boston cocoa-heads meeting a while ago, we discussed this topic and came to a consensus that where two decent approaches.

1 - The first is it either use IBTool or manually make separate nibs.

2 - Gain programatic access to your labels and change the text programatically. Mipadi mentions Localizable.strings as being useful. To gain programatic access, you can either wire-up each label through IB, or you could do some king of walk-the-nib magic and find all of the labels (exercise left to the reader).

Pick whichever method fits your particular app.

Hope this helps,

JJ

This question might help: IPhone localization: Is it possible to translate nib files...

Answer 4

Wil Shipley recommends, and provides code for, localizing your nib files from strings files at run time.