Introduction to Angular Internationalization (i18n)

Angular provides built-in support for internationalization (i18n), allowing you to create applications that can be easily translated into multiple languages. In this tutorial, we’ll explore the basics of Angular i18n.

Introduction to Angular i18n

What is i18n:

• i18n is a shorthand for internationalization, where the number “18” represents the number of letters between “i” and “n” in the word.

Angular i18n Features:

• Angular provides a set of features to make applications multilingual, including translation of text, formatting of numbers and dates, and more.

Basic Translation of Text

Markup for Translation:

• Use the i18n attribute to mark text that needs translation.

//Example of marking text for translation in Angular template
<p i18n="@@welcomeMessage">Welcome to my Angular app!</p>

Extracting Translatable Messages:

• Use the Angular CLI to extract translatable messages into a translation file.

ng extract-i18n

Creating Translation Files

Translation File Structure:

• Translation files follow a specific structure with message IDs and corresponding translations.

// Example of translation file structure (messages.en.xlf)
<trans-unit id="welcomeMessage" datatype="html">
  <source>Welcome to my Angular app!</source>
  <target>Translated welcome message</target>
</trans-unit>

Switching Languages:

• Use the Angular LOCALE_ID token to switch between languages.

// Example of switching languages in Angular component
import { LOCALE_ID } from '@angular/core';

constructor(@Inject(LOCALE_ID) private locale: string) { }

Formatting Numbers and Dates

Number Formatting:

• Use the Angular DecimalPipe for number formatting.

//Example of number formatting in Angular template
<p>{{ numberValue | number:'1.2-2' }}</p>

Date Formatting:

• Use the Angular DatePipe for date formatting.

//Example of date formatting in Angular template
<p>{{ dateValue | date:'medium' }}</p>

Pluralization and Select

Pluralization:

• Use the Angular NgPlural directive for pluralization.

//Example of pluralization in Angular template
<p [ngPlural]="itemCount">
  <ng-container *ngPluralCase="'=0'">No items</ng-container>
  <ng-container *ngPluralCase="'=1'">One item</ng-container>
  <ng-container *ngPluralCase="'other'">{{ itemCount }} items</ng-container>
</p>

Select:

• Use the Angular NgSwitch directive for select statements.

//Example of select statement in Angular template
<p [ngSwitch]="status">
  <ng-container *ngSwitchCase="'active'">Active</ng-container>
  <ng-container *ngSwitchCase="'inactive'">Inactive</ng-container>
  <ng-container *ngSwitchDefault>Unknown</ng-container>
</p>

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we’ve explored the basics of Angular internationalization (i18n), including marking text for translation, creating translation files, formatting numbers and dates, and handling pluralization and select statements. Angular’s i18n features provide a robust framework for creating applications that can be easily adapted to different languages and regions.

In the next tutorial, we’ll cover Angular’s security features, including best practices for securing your Angular applications.

“Angular i18n basics”
“Getting started with Angular internationalization”
“Angular i18n tutorial for beginners”
“Simple guide to Angular i18n”
“Low competition Angular i18n tips”
“Step-by-step Angular internationalization guide”
“Exploring Angular i18n features”