Configuration

Languine uses a JSON configuration file (babely.json) to manage your translation setup. This file defines your source and target languages, as well as the files that need to be translated.

Basic Configuration

Here's a basic example in both formats:

{
  "locale": {
    "source": "en",
    "targets": ["es", "fr", "de"]
  },
  "files": {
    "json": {
      "include": ["locales/[locale].json"]
    }
  }
}

Let's break down the different sections in the configuration file.

Locale Configuration

The locale section defines your translation languages:

• ◇source: Your primary language for content creation (e.g., "en" for English)
• ◇targets: An array of languages you want to translate into (e.g., ["es", "fr", "de"] for Spanish, French, and German)

Languine supports a wide range of language codes, including:

• ◇Simple codes: en, es, fr, de
• ◇Region-specific codes: pt-BR, zh-CN, zh-TW

File Configuration

The files section defines which files Languine should translate. You can configure multiple file types and patterns:

JSON Files

files: {
  json: {
    include: ["locales/[locale].json"],
  },
}

Markdown/MDX Files

files: {
  md: {
    include: ["docs/[locale]/*.md"],
  },
  mdx: {
    include: ["blog/[locale]/*.mdx"],
  },
}

Mobile Platform Files

For iOS (Xcode):

files: {
  "xcode-xcstrings": {
    include: ["Example/Localizable.xcstrings"],
  },
  // Or for traditional .strings files
  "xcode-strings": {
    include: ["Example/[locale].lproj/Localizable.strings"],
  },
}

For Android:

files: {
  android: {
    include: ["locales/[locale].xml"],
  },
}

Other Formats

Here's a complete list of file formats supported by Languine:

• ◇JSON - Standard JSON translation files
• ◇YAML - YAML translation files
• ◇Properties - Java properties files
• ◇Android - Android XML resource files
• ◇iOS - iOS localization files
• ◇iOS Stringsdict - iOS pluralization files
• ◇iOS XCStrings - Modern Xcode string catalogs
• ◇Markdown - Documentation files
• ◇MDX - Documentation with JSX
• ◇HTML - HTML files
• ◇JavaScript - JavaScript files
• ◇TypeScript - TypeScript files
• ◇Gettext PO - GetText translation files
• ◇XLIFF - XML Localization Interchange File Format
• ◇CSV - Spreadsheet-based translations
• ◇XML - XML resource files
• ◇Flutter ARB - Application Resource Bundle files
• ◇PHP - PHP translation files

File Patterns

The [locale] placeholder in file patterns is automatically replaced with the appropriate language code during translation. For example:

• ◇locales/[locale].json becomes:
  • ◇locales/en.json
  • ◇locales/es.json
  • ◇locales/fr.json

You can include multiple patterns for each file type and use glob patterns:

files: {
  json: {
    include: [
      "src/locales/[locale].json",
      "src/components/[locale]/*.json"
    ],
  },
}

Project ID (Optional)

If you're using Languine's cloud services, you can include your project ID in the configuration:

{
  "projectId": "prj_your_project_id",
  "locale": {
    // ... locale config
  },
  files: {
    // ... files config
  },
}

Translation State Tracking

Languine automatically creates and maintains a languine.lock file to track the state of your translations. This file:

• ◇Tracks which content has been translated
• ◇Helps identify what needs to be updated when source content changes
• ◇Should be committed to your version control system

You don't need to manually edit the lock file - Languine manages it automatically when you run translation commands.

Best Practices

1. ◇Version Control: Always commit both babely.json and languine.lock to your repository
2. ◇File Organization: Keep your translation files organized in a consistent directory structure
3. ◇Language Codes: Use standard language codes to ensure compatibility
4. ◇Patterns: Use specific include patterns to avoid translating unnecessary files
5. ◇Project ID: Keep your project ID secure and don't share it publicly if you're using cloud services, use the LANGUINE_PROJECT_ID environment variable instead.