If you’re writing a Liferay application, you’re probably a genius who is also really cool, which means your application will be used throughout the entire world. At least, if its messages can be translated into their language, it will. Thankfully, Liferay facilitates creating and using message translations and adapting to cultural conventions for user names and initials.
You can leverage Liferay’s localization framework or use standard resource
bundles to localize your app. The localization framework uses properties files
(the same as any resource bundle) but leverages a default properties file called
Language.properties to propagate messages (language keys) to properties files
for all your locales. For example, when you add a new message to the
Language.properties file and run Language Builder, it propagates the message
to your locale files. All you must do is translate the message in each locale
file, manually or automatically using Language Builder.
Language Builder integrates the Microsoft Text Translator API to translate each locale file’s messages from your default locale to the respective locale. A machine’s translation is no substitute for a human’s, of course, but the automatic translation gives you a base to work from.
It’s common to use the same messages in multiple apps. Liferay DXP provides these message sharing features:
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Liferay DXP’s messages (and their translations) are available for all your apps to use. JSP tags such as
<liferay-ui:message ... />let you use all Liferay DXP messages. -
Language modules are easy to use in all your apps. They’re great for centralizing messages in all your locales.
Lastly, Liferay DXP provides settings for adapting your app to cultures:
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Naming conventions for users
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Initial conventions for user avatars
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Text direction settings (left-to-right or right-to-left)
Localization is important to all site users. Liferay helps you get it right! Start with localizing your application using Liferay’s localization framework.