Exploring Internationalization and Localization in Flutter

Exploring Internationalization and Localization in Flutter

The world is getting more and more interconnected; hence, making localizing a mobile app to multiple languages and dialects a must. This article explores internationalization and localization in Flutter, a modern framework for cross-platform mobile development.

What is Internationalization?

Internationalization (i18n) is the process of designing an app so that it can be localized to different languages and regions without engineering changes. The purpose of internationalization is to enable developers to easily localize their app to any language or region without having to modify the code.

What is Localization?

Localization (L10n) is the process of adapting an app’s content and design for a specific language and culture. This involves translating text, images, numbers and dates into the target language. Additionally, it involves making changes to the app to fit local conventions such as currency and date formats.

Internationalization and Localization with Flutter

Flutter makes internationalization and localization simple, with native support for dozens of languages. Flutter currently supports over 70 languages through the Translations package. Once all the translations have been provided, they are compiled into a single JSON file that can be easily loaded into the app.

To make localization easier, Flutter provides tools such as DateFormat, NumberFormat, and TextDirection. These tools allow developers to easily format numbers, dates, and other text-based elements according to the local conventions of the target language.

Summary

Internationalization and localization play an important role in the success of any cross-platform mobile app. Flutter makes this process simple by providing native support for dozens of languages, and tools to easily format numbers and dates according to the local conventions.