localization-setup

Localization Setup Generator

Generate internationalization (i18n) infrastructure for multi-language support in iOS/macOS apps.

When This Skill Activates

• User wants to localize their app for multiple languages
• User mentions i18n, internationalization, or localization
• User asks about String Catalogs or .strings files
• User wants to support RTL (right-to-left) languages

Pre-Generation Checks

Before generating, verify:

1. Existing Localization

   # Check for existing localization files
   find . -name "*.xcstrings" -o -name "Localizable.strings" 2>/dev/null | head -5
   find . -name "*.lproj" -type d 2>/dev/null | head -5
   

2. Deployment Target

   # String Catalogs require iOS 16+ / macOS 13+
   grep -r "IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET\|MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET" *.xcodeproj 2>/dev/null
   

3. Project Structure

   # Find project for adding localization
   find . -name "*.xcodeproj" | head -1
   

Configuration Questions

1. Localization Approach

• String Catalogs (Recommended, iOS 16+) - Modern, visual editor in Xcode
• Legacy .strings - Traditional approach, all iOS versions

2. Initial Languages

• English (en) - default
• Which additional languages? (e.g., es, de, fr, ja, zh-Hans)

3. Features

• Pluralization - Handle "1 item" vs "2 items"
• Device-specific - Different strings for iPhone/iPad/Mac
• SwiftUI Preview - Preview in different locales

Generated Files

String Catalogs (Recommended)

Resources/
└── Localizable.xcstrings    # String catalog with all translations

Supporting Code

Sources/Localization/
├── LocalizedStrings.swift   # Type-safe string access
├── LocalizationManager.swift # Runtime language switching
└── LocalizedPreview.swift   # SwiftUI preview helpers

Key Features

Type-Safe String Access

// Generated enum for type-safe access
enum L10n {
    static let appName = String(localized: "app_name")
    static let welcomeMessage = String(localized: "welcome_message")

    enum Settings {
        static let title = String(localized: "settings_title")
        static let language = String(localized: "settings_language")
    }
}

// Usage
Text(L10n.appName)
Text(L10n.Settings.title)