jquery.localize.js
A jQuery plugin that makes it easy to i18n your static web site.
Synopsis
- Lazily loads JSON translation files based on a simple naming convention.
- By default, applies the translations to your document based on simple attribute convention.
- Tested with jQuery versions 1.7.2, 1.8.3, 1.9.1, 1.10.2, 1.11.0, 2.0.3, 2.1.0
Getting Started
Download the production version or the development version.
Load the jquery-localize plugin on your page.
It's the file located at dist/jquery.localize.js
Mark up tags whose content you want to be translated
Somewhere in your html:
Hello!
Provide a JSON language file that has translations:
example-fr.json:
{
"greeting": "Bonjour!"
}
Use the localize plugin.
Gory Details
Language file loading
The first argument of the localize method is the name of the language pack. You might have a different language pack for different parts of your website.
Here's an example of loading several language packs:
If the language of the browser were set to "fr", then the plugin would try to load:
- header-fr.json
- sidebar-fr.json
- footer-fr.json
if the language of the browser also had a country code, like "fr-FR", then the plugin would ALSO try to load:
- header-fr-FR.json
- sidebar-fr-FR.json
- footer-fr-FR.json
This let's you define partial language refinements for different regions. For instance, you can have the base language translation file for a language that translates 100 different phrases, and for countries were maybe a some of those phrases would be out of place, you can just provide a country-specific file with just those special phrases defined.
Skipping Languages (aka Optimizing for My Language)
This is useful if you've got a default language. For example, if all of your content is served in english, then you probably don't want the overhead of loading up unecessary (and probably non-existant) english langauge packs (foo-en.json)
You can tell the localize plugin to always skip certain languages using the skipLanguage option:
Applying the language file
If you rely on the default callback and use the "data-localize" attribute then the changes will be applied for you.
Examples:
HTML:
Tracker Pro XT DeluxeSearch...Go!Use at your own risk.DashboardBug ListLogout
application-es.json (fake spanish)
{
"title": "Tracker Pro XT Deluxo",
"search": {
"placeholder": "Searcho...",
"button": "Vamos!"
},
"footer": {
"disclaimer": "Bewaro."
},
"menu": {
"dashboard": "Dashboardo",
"list": "Bug Listo",
"logout": "Exito"
}
}
Localize it!
Callbacks
You can provide a callback if you want to augment or replace the default callback provided by the plugin. Your callback should take at least 1 argument: the language data (contents of your json file). It can optionally accept a second argument, which is a reference to the default callback function. This is handy if you still want the default behavior, but also need to do something else with the language data.
See the test/samples for working examples.
Contributing
To contribute to this plugin, please read the contributing guidelines.
Credits & Licensing
Copyright (c) Jim Garvin (http://github.com/coderifous), 2008.
Dual licensed under the GPL (http://dev.jquery.com/browser/trunk/jquery/GPL-LICENSE.txt) and MIT (http://dev.jquery.com/browser/trunk/jquery/MIT-LICENSE.txt) licenses.
Written by Jim Garvin (@coderifous) for use on LMGTFY.com. Please use it, and contribute changes.
http://github.com/coderifous/jquery-localize
Based off of Keith Wood's Localisation jQuery plugin. http://keith-wood.name/localisation.html