Java resource bundle: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:47, 12 December 2010

Revision as of 04:59, 29 December 2010

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A resource bundle is a [[Java (software platform)|Java]] [[.properties]] file that contains [[locale]]-specific data.<ref>[http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Intl/ResourceBundles/ O'Conner, B. ''Java Internationalization: Localization with ResourceBundles'', Sun Developer Network.]</ref>. It is a way of internationalising a Java application by making the code locale-independent.

== Naming a resource bundle ==

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== Content of a resource bundle ==

Resource bundles are essentially text files. The most common type of content in a resource bundle is a list of strings. Each string has a “key” to identify it, which is the same in all the different resource bundles. When writing the code for the application, only the key is mentioned (this is why we say that the code is locale-independent). Using the methods provided in the Java [[API]] for the ResourceBundle class,<ref>[http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/ Java API ResourceBundle Class]</ref> , we can access the string (i.e. the "value") associated with the key. Depending on which locale the application is handling, it will call the adequate resource bundle at [[Run time (computing)|runtime]].<ref>Esselink, B. ''A Practical Guide to Software Localisation'', John Benjamins Publishing (1998).</ref>.

For instance, our resource bundle for the UK English locale can contain “firstKey = Localisation” and our US English one can contain “firstKey = Localization”. We will refer only to “firstKey” in the code and, according to the current locale settings, the application will use either “Localization” or “Localisation”.

== Benefits of using resource bundles ==

Extracting locale-sensitive objects such as strings from the code (as opposed to [[hard-coding]] them) means that the application can handle multiple locales without having to write different code for each locale. It also means that translators can deal with just the translatable text and not the programming code. Therefore, using resource bundles improves the [[internationalisation]] and the [[Internationalization and localization|localisation]] process of a software product.

== Translating a resource bundle ==

Some [[CAT tools]] like [[OmegaT]], OmegaT+ ,<ref>[http://omegatplus.sourceforge.net/ OmegaT+]</ref>, [http://www.maxprograms.com/products/swordfish.html Swordfish] or Sun's [[Open language tools]] can specifically handle resource bundles. In addition to these, translators can use any [[text editor]] to create new resource bundles or to modify existing ones.

[http://www.maxprograms.com/products/javapm.html JavaPM] is a free cross-platform utility that that assists software developers in the localization of Java projects. JavaPM converts Java .properties files to XLIFF 1.2 format, allowing their localization using most modern translation environments. Once the [[XLIFF]] files have been translated, JavaPM inserts the translations into the Java project, creating new .properties files or updating existing ones as necessary.