In this digital era where everyone is more connected it is not uncommon for businesses to operate in multiple regions. A website or a mobile app is the perfect method of expanding a business to different cities and countries.
This essentially means organizations need to make their applications accessible to users in their local language. Developing a Laravel application with different languages requires a thoughtful approach to web development. It means ensuring that the application can be easily adapted to different locales.
In this article, we’ll explore the concepts of internationalization and localization with Laravel in detail, explain how they differ from each other, and provide practical guidance on how to implement them in Laravel. The article also explains Laravel’s built-in tools that facilitate the process of making it easier for developers to handle language translations and regional preferences.
In Laravel, localization and internationalization are important concepts related to making your application accessible to users from different regions and languages.
Language Files: Laravel stores translation strings in language files located in the resources/lang directory. Each language has its own folder, where developers can place files that contain the text for that language. For example, for English, there would be an en folder, and for French, an fr folder. These files allow the application to easily switch between languages. Localization is primarily about translating the application’s text into different languages.
Language Keys: Instead of hardcoding text into views, developers use language keys, which act as placeholders for text. These keys are mapped to corresponding translations in the language files. When the locale is changed, Laravel uses the appropriate language file to display the correct translation.
Locale Detection: Laravel provides mechanisms to detect the user's locale automatically, allowing the application to adjust the language and other locale-specific settings accordingly. This can be based on the user’s browser settings or preferences stored in a database.
Directionality: For languages that are written from right to left (RTL), such as Arabic or Hebrew, localization also involves adjusting the layout of the application to ensure proper display and usability. Laravel allows developers to handle this through CSS and layout changes that respond to the locale.
Fallback Language: Laravel allows developers to define a fallback language in case a translation is not available in the selected language. This ensures that the application remains functional even if some translations are missing.
Date and Time Formatting: Internationalization in Laravel also involves setting up date, time, and currency formats that vary from one region to another. These formats can be adjusted based on the user’s locale, ensuring that users see familiar formats. Localization also involves adjusting the format of numbers, currencies, dates, and times to match the conventions of the user’s locale. For example, in the US, a date might be written as 10/16/2024, while in Germany it would be written as 16.10.2024.
Cultural Fit: Localization goes beyond just translating text. It also requires adapting the content to fit cultural norms and expectations. This could involve changing images, symbols, or even colors to better align with the preferences of users in different regions.
Create Language Folders: In the resources/lang directory, create a folder for each language you want to support (e.g., en for English, fr for French).
Define Translation Files: Inside each language folder, create files such as messages.php where you define an associative array of translation strings. For example:
PHP
// resources/lang/en/messages.php
return [
'welcome' => 'Welcome to our website!',
];
// resources/lang/fr/messages.php
return [
'welcome' => 'Bienvenue sur notre site Web!',
Use Language Keys in Views: In your view files, use the __() helper function to retrieve the translation string by its key:
PHP
<h1>{{ __('messages.welcome') }}</h1>
Set the Locale: To switch between languages, you can set the locale using the App::setLocale() method. This can be done based on user preferences or automatically using Laravel’s built-in locale detection:
PHP
App::setLocale('fr');
Provide Translations: After setting up the language folders during internationalization, you’ll need to fill the files with appropriate translations for each language.
Handle Locale Switching: Allow users to switch between languages by storing their preferences in a session, database, or cookie. Laravel’s App::setLocale() method makes it easy to change the language dynamically based on user input.
Format Dates, Times, and Numbers: Laravel provides helpers to format dates, times, and numbers according to the locale. For example:
PHP
echo \Carbon\Carbon::now()->locale('fr')->isoFormat('LLLL');
Adapt Cultural Elements: Customize content such as images, graphics, and even color schemes to suit the cultural preferences of users from different regions.
Test Localization: Ensure that your localized application is properly displaying text and formatting for all supported languages. Testing is crucial to catch any issues that might arise from improper translations or formatting.
While internationalization and localization are closely related and often work hand-in-hand, they serve distinct purposes in the development process. Below are some key differences between the two:
Definition:
Internationalization: The process of designing an application to support multiple languages and regions.
Localization: The process of adapting the application to meet the specific language, culture, and regional needs of a locale.
Focus:
Internationalization: Focuses on preparing the application to be adapted to different locales.
Localization: Focuses on implementing language translations and regional adaptations.
Timing
Internationalization: Done during the initial design and development of the application.
Localization: Done after the internationalization process, usually when the application is deployed in different regions.
Core Task
Internationalization: Creating a structure that can support multiple languages, defining language files, and keys.
Localization: Translating content, formatting dates, numbers, and adapting cultural elements.
Adaptation
Internationalization: Provides the framework for localization to occur.
Localization: Customizes the application to a specific locale based on the framework set by internationalization.
Example in Laravel:
Internationalization: Creating language folders and translation keys, setting up locale detection.
Localization: Providing actual translations for the keys, formatting dates and currencies based on locale.
Businesses tend to implement localization in many types of applications. This includes eCommerce & CMS applications, SaaS platforms, travel, news, government, online learning portals and many more. Some of these are described in more detail here:
eCommerce Applications: An online store built with Laravel that supports customers from different countries. It would use localization to ensure that users from France see the content in French, with prices in Euros and proper date formats (dd/mm/yyyy), while users from the U.S. see content in English, prices in USD, and dates in mm/dd/yyyy format. It will can have the following features:
Product descriptions, categories, and checkout flows translated into multiple languages.
Currency conversion based on the user’s location.
Localized date and time formatting.
Right-to-left (RTL) language support (for languages like Arabic or Hebrew).
SaaS Platforms (Software as a Service): A Laravel-powered subscription service offering tools for businesses around the world. A SaaS company that targets users in multiple countries might offer the application in various languages and formats, helping users feel more comfortable using the tool in their native language. Some of the localization features:
User interface (UI) language support for English, Spanish, German, and Japanese.
Language-specific error messages and notifications (from the validation layer).
Region-specific legal agreements or terms and conditions.
Localization of emails, invoices, and reports generated in different languages.
Laravel comes with built-in tools that make it easy to implement both internationalization and localization. These tools include:
Language Files: Located in the resources/lang directory, language files store the translation strings used in the application. Laravel allows for easy creation and management of these files for multiple languages.
Locale Configuration: Laravel provides a simple way to set the application’s default locale in the config/app.php file. Developers can also dynamically switch locales based on user preferences or session data.
Localization Methods: Laravel’s __() and trans() helper functions make it easy to retrieve translation strings from language files. These methods are used in views and controllers to ensure that the appropriate translations are displayed to the user.
Fallback Locale: Laravel supports defining a fallback locale in the config/app.php file. This ensures that if a translation is missing, the application will revert to a default language, preventing errors or confusion for users.
Pluralization: Laravel handles pluralization automatically in language files. By defining singular and plural versions of strings, Laravel can choose the correct version based on the context. For example:
PHP
'apple' => '{0} No apples|{1} One apple|[2,*] :count apples',
Localization and internationalization are crucial components for creating web applications that cater to a global audience. In Laravel, internationalization lays the groundwork by setting up the necessary infrastructure to support multiple languages and locales, while localization focuses on adapting the application to specific regions through translation and formatting.
By leveraging Laravel’s built-in tools for internationalization and localization, developers can easily create flexible, multilingual applications that provide seamless user experiences across different cultures and regions. Businesses can benefit when they hire remote developers with the necessary expertise to build their application.
Acquaint Softtech is one such software development outsourcing company with over 10 years of experience.
In conclusion, while internationalization and localization are distinct processes, they are complementary and essential for developing robust, globally-accessible applications in Laravel. Understanding the difference between the two is key to ensuring that your application is both flexible and culturally relevant, no matter where your users are located.
