internationalization with the symfony framework

Internationalization| Thomas Rabaix – h-p://www.soleoweb.com

Internationalization Thomas Rabaix – Soleoweb SARL


Thomas Rabaix

•  freelance

•  symfony fan –  Conference #sflive09 –  Book : more with symfony –  Plugins

•  swFunctionalTestGenerationPlugin : generate ready-to-be-customized test skeletons in a matter of minutes

•  swCrossLinkApplicationPlugin : add cross application link in your project •  sfSolrPlugin : integrates Solr into symfony framework. •  Many more


What is internationalization and localization ?

•  Internationalization

•  Localization


Culture ?

•  Culture is the addition of

–  Language + Region

•  fr : french •  fr_FR : french from France •  fr_BE : french from Belgium •  en_UK : english from United-Kingdom •  en_US : english from United-States


What elements can be i18n and l10n ?

•  Internationalization –  url : routing –  Model : doctrine + propel –  form : sfForm framework

•  Localization –  number –  currency –  date / time


Internationalization

•  most of the i18n code is based on the Prado framework •  ICU data has been updated on sf1.3 and sf1.4

•  edit your settings.yml and enable i18n options


Culture detection


Update culture

•  sfContext::getInstance()->getUser()->setCulture(‘fr’)

•  Notify the user.change_culture (does not change user’s culture)


Culture in URL

•  This is a feature built in the sfRouting class and symfony uses the value to update the user current culture.

•  example : /en/recipes/search => sf_culture = en


Creating i18n url

•  example –  /recettes/recherche –  /recipes/search

•  This is not a built in feature, however plugins or code can help you to create translated url.


Solution 1 : ysfDimensionPlugin

•  You can create custom configuration files per dimension, –  a culture dimension with 'fr' or 'en'

•  then you just have to create : –  SF_APP_FOLDER/config/en/routing.yml –  SF_APP_FOLDER/config/fr/routing.yml

•  con: duplicate routes configurations on each routing.yml files and can be tricky to setup

•  pro : no performances overhead


Solution 2 : custom code

•  Create a custom sfRouting class

•  Usage


Model definition

•  Propel and Doctrine both have built in feature to handle translation version

Doctrine Propel


Model and culture

•  The default model culture value can be accessed through : –  sfDoctrineRecord::getDefaultCulture() –  sfPropel::getDefaultCulture()

•  The default model culture value can be updated through : –  sfDoctrineRecord::setDefaultCulture() –  sfPropel::setDefaultCulture()


Model i18n properties

•  Accessing i18n property : –  always uses the default culture

•  Doctrine

•  Propel


Model : query

•  ORM never automatically left join the translation table

•  Doctrine

•  Propel


Helpers – localization

•  NumberHelper: –  format_currency

–  format_number


Helpers - DateHelper

•  format_date helper and format_datetime helper –  Output format (culture = en)

the format_date and date.me helpers automa.cally localize and translate date using ICU data


Helpers – DateHelper

•  format_daterange helper

•  distance_of_time_in_words helper


Helpers – I18n

•  __() helper

•  format_number_choice helper


Behind helpers

•  Helpers are just shortcut functions to internal class –  sfNumberFormat and sfDateFormat –  sfI18n

•  You can use these classes in your actions or custom lib –  Check out the symfony API


sfForm – i18n friendly widgets

•  the sfForm framework provides with many i18n widget :

–  sfWidgetFormI18nChoiceCountry –  sfWidgetFormI18nChoiceCurrency –  sfWidgetFormI18nChoiceLanguage –  sfWidgetFormI18nChoiceTimezone –  sfWidgetFormI18nDate –  sfWidgetFormI18nDateTime –  sfWidgetFormI18nTime

•  And the related validator :

–  sfValidatorI18nChoiceTimezone –  sfValidatorI18nChoiceLanguage –  sfValidatorI18nChoiceCountry

All these widgets accept a culture op.on

en

zh


sfForm - swCultureDemoForm

Culture is set in the controller

DO NOT USE sfContext::getInstance()


sfForm – elements translation

•  The sfForm has a translation callback function through the sfWidgetFormSchemaFormatter class

•  Label, error message, help messages are translated by using the callable method

•  warning : with sf1.3 and sf1.4 "choice" widgets which extends the sfWidgetFormChoiceBase class automatically translates choices provided when the widget is rendered.


sfForm + ORM

•  symfony provides an unified API between both ORM to handle i18n model.

•  If you need to build a form to edit translation from a model, you can use the `embedI18n` method –  method declared in the sfFromDoctrine and sfFormPropel


sfForm – backend form

•  Create a custom BaseForm[Doctrine|Propel] class in the backend/lib/form folder.


Translation management …

•  Sources available –  Gettext –  MySQL –  SQLite –  XLIFF

•  Not really user friendly


… an alternative

•  mgI18nPlugin : interactive GUI to translate webpage

•  Open sourced by menugourmet.com : online quality recipes


Menugourmet.com


example


mgI18nPlugin - parameters

•  The plugin detects parameters in your translated message


mgI18nPlugin

•  Display a popup to translate all messages used in the current page

•  Parse lib and actions to find message (handle catalogue)

•  All messages are stored in database


mgI18nPlugin - tips

•  Cache is a key/value, so do not use a full text message. –  Smaller is your cache, quicker it will be loaded –  Use catalogue

•  Code message : –  The awesome recipes list => title_recipes

•  Always use a prefix : –  btn : btn_submit –  label : label_name –  link : link_to_homepage


mgI18nPlugin – configuration

•  read the famous README file

•  Tweak security


mgI18nPlugin – tools

•  Import xliff into the database

•  unreachable messages


mgI18nPlugin – ROADMAP

•  Complete export database to xliff files

•  Remove Doctrine dependency, full PDO support

•  Simplify GUI


QUESTIONS ? Thomas Rabaix

hGp://www.soleoweb.com

Images references -‐ hGp://www.flickr.com/photos/photonoob/2164014945/ -‐ hGp://www.flickr.com/photos/vermininc/2389710332/ -‐ hGp://www.flickr.com/photos/16175430@N02/3490488907/ -‐ hGp://www.flickr.com/photos/urville_djasim/2643449676/

internationalization with the symfony framework

Technology

culture dimension

helpers i18n

default culture doctrine

default model culture

helpers helpers

model i18n properties

i18n widget

i18n code