iPhone app available languages in appStore

Question

Hi I submitted my first application to the appStore http://itunes.apple.com/at/app/section-control/id343824642?mt=8

This displays "English" as Languages (Sprachen in German) in the "Overview". And that is correct in this case.

I think this comes from the fact that I don't have localized resources in my application. Which is question one: how is "Languages / Sprachen" detected by the appstore?

It has (of course) nothing to do with localized descriptions since I used english and german in this case.

TomTom http://itunes.apple.com/at/app/tomtom-westeuropa/id326075062?mt=8 for an example shows a lot of languages.

Anyhow - the main question. For my next application I plan a "community driven localization". The idea is something you find in a lot of application where you can download "language files".

Assume my app has a list of available languages. This comes from a web service and you (as user) can load down your preffered language (if available).

And since the thing is dynamic the following will happen - I publish the application in English and German (my native language). Later someone enters French texts - so from that moment on the app is also available in French.

I didn't find a way to set the "Languages / Sprachen" element in the apps short description (Overview) or do I have to "resubmit" my application to change this?

Last not least - if I am right and the languages are detected by contained resources in the application - is it enough to provide an empty (or just holding a single string) "strings file" with my application?

Answer 1

This is what you need to do:

This is how the .app folder should look like:

+MyApp.app

+en.lproj

+de.lproj

+nl.lproj

etc...

in the lproj folder, you should place a Localizable.strings file.

In this Localizable.strings file, you can put the language changes like these: (EN-NL)

"About" = "Over"

"ErrorSupport" = "Kon niet de ondersteuning contacteren."

So, the first lines like "About" don't give the english, but just the function.

I am not completely sure how to set this up in your app, i am not a really good app coder. You should check Apple's help documents, or ask it to other developers.

For the download of languages, i would persume, that you build in a webView, and direct it to your downloadpage, and that the app then automatticly regocnises it as a language folder, and installs it to MyApp.app/<language>.lproj. Ask about this download stuff to other developers, or check Apple's help documents. (I don't know for sure if they mention it there)