Android - Localization

An android application can run on many devices in many different regions. In order to make your application more interactive, your application should handle text,numbers,files e.t.c in ways appropriate to the locales where your application will be used.

The way of changing string into different languages is called as localization

In this chapter we will explain , how you can localize your application according to different regions e.t.c. We will localize the strings used in the application, and in the same way other things can be localized.

Localizing Strings

In order to localize the strings used in your application , make a new folder under res with name of values-local where local would be the replaced with the region.

For example, in the case of italy, the values-it folder would be made under res. It is shown in the image below −

Once that folder is made, copy the strings.xmlfrom default folder to the folder you have created. And change its contents. For example, i have changed the value of hello_world string.

Italy, res/values-it/strings.xml

<;?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
   <string name="hello_world">Ciao mondo!</string>
</resources>

Spanish, res/values-it/strings.xml

<;?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
   <string name="hello_world">Hola Mundo!</string>
</resources>

French, res/values-it/strings.xml

<;?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
   <string name="hello_world">Bonjour le monde !</string>
</resources>

Apart from these languages, the region code of other languages have been given in the table below −

Example

To experiment with this example , you can run this on an actual device or in an emulator.

Following is the modified content of the xml res/layout/activity_main.xml.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout 
   xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools" 
   android:layout_width="match_parent"
   android:layout_height="match_parent" android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
   android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
   android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
   android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin" 
   tools:context=".MainActivity">
   
   <TextView android:text="Wifi" 
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:id="@+id/textview"
      android:textSize="35dp"
      android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />
      
   <TextView
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="Tutorials point"
      android:id="@+id/textView"
      android:layout_below="@+id/textview"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:textColor="#ff7aff24"
      android:textSize="35dp" />
      
   <TextView
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="@string/hindi"
      android:id="@+id/textView2"
      android:layout_below="@+id/textView"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:layout_marginTop="50dp"
      android:textColor="#ff59ff1a"
      android:textSize="30dp" />
      
   <TextView
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="@string/marathi"
      android:id="@+id/textView3"
      android:textSize="30dp"
      android:textColor="#ff67ff1e"
      android:layout_centerVertical="true"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />
      
   <TextView
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="@string/arabic"
      android:id="@+id/textView4"
      android:layout_below="@+id/textView3"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      android:layout_marginTop="42dp"
      android:textColor="#ff40ff08"
      android:textSize="30dp" />
      
   <TextView
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="@string/chinese"
      android:id="@+id/textView5"
      android:layout_below="@+id/textView4"
      android:layout_alignLeft="@+id/textView3"
      android:layout_alignStart="@+id/textView3"
      android:layout_marginTop="42dp"
      android:textSize="30dp"
      android:textColor="#ff56ff12"
      android:layout_alignRight="@+id/textView3"
      android:layout_alignEnd="@+id/textView3" />

</RelativeLayout>

Following is the content of the res/values/string.xml.

<resources>
   <string name="app_name">My Application</string>
   <string name="hello_world">Hello world!</string>
   <string name="action_settings">Settings</string>
   <string name="hindi">ట్యుటోరియల్స్ పాయింట్</string>
   <string name="marathi">शिकवण्या बिंदू</string>
   <string name="arabic">نقطة الدروس7</string>
   <string name="chinese">教程点</string>
</resources>

Let's try to run our application we just modified. I assume you had created your AVD while doing environment setup. To run the app from Android studio, open one of your project's activity files and click Run icon from the toolbar. Android studio installs the app on your AVD and starts it and if everything is fine with your setup and application, it will display following Emulator window −