Localizing Applications

The localization service is used to provide one or more languages to applications that are developed using Application Development. You can quickly and easily add new locales by dragging and dropping a language pack to your application. You can dynamically customize and modify locale information for your application.

The applications must have been internationalized. In other words, your application developer has provided localization support by externalizing the necessary keys in the application.

The following terms are used in the localization service:
  • Locales - identify a specific language spoken in a geographic region.
  • Language Packs - consist of a collection of message properties files for locales. Language packs are used for distribution. For example, you may have an Asian language pack and a European language pack.
  • Message Property Files - consist of key/value phrases.
    • keys - the localizable terms specified in the application by your application developer.
    • value - the strings used with the keys for a locale.

Using the Application Development Platform localization service, you can:

  • define your own language packs for your applications.
  • modify the existing localization data for an application. For example, you may want to add a new locale, or define a new fallback chain or add new key/value phrases.

A video called Localizing Applications is available that shows how to add and customize locale information for you application.