How to perform Localization using sqlite stored data-iOS App? - ios

Question

In my app i am doing localization to support mutiple languages. For that i am creating .string file and using the following method:
-(NSString*) languageSelectedStringForKey:(NSString*)key;
I am using the Key_value concept for this. its working fine. But My question is:
Let say i have a sqlite database which has all the different languages string which needs to be localized.
For eg: for spanish
"Username" = "nombre de usuario";
"Password" = "contraseña";
"Submit" = "presentar";
for french
"Username" = "nom d'utilisateur";
"Password" = "mot de passe";
"Submit" = "soumettre";
all this is insert in a sqlite database.
How can we perform localization with the app that way?

Answer 1

Since you seem to have all strings traduction within one db, you need to have an intermediate data structure that will act as a bridge between the db and your method to localize the string.
You could make use of a dictionary for e.g to store the key string identifier and as a value an array that contain all the languages traduction. You will need to feed this data structure once then.
Note that the recommended way is to use .strings files for localisation so you need to provide us good raison why you can't take this approach.

Answer 2

If those are titles/texts for UIButtons and UILabels use the following syntax in your viewController:
NSString *buttonString = NSLocalizedStringFromTable(#"viewController-title-button-username", #"Localizable", nil);
self.username_label.text = buttonString;
And in your Localizable.strings file you do(you must add localization to your project and set this file to be localized to spanish):
"viewController-title-button-username" = "nombre de usuario";
"tabbar-item1" = "item1 in spanish";
"tabbar-item2" = "item2 in spanish";
"tabbar-item3" = "item3 in spanish";
And the same for the Localizable.strings you have set to be the french:
"viewController-title-button-username" = "nom d'utilisateur";
"tabbar-item1" = "item1 in french";
"tabbar-item2" = "item2 in french";
"tabbar-item3" = "item3 in french";
For your tabbar name, put this in your viewDidLoad for each viewController you have. Just change 1, 2, 3 etc.:
NSString *name = NSLocalizedStringFromTable(#"tabbar-item1", #"Main", nil);
self.title = name;
On the other hand if you are getting either an .xml or retrieving using REST you can do the following:
//Get the name of what you want eg. spanish-data or french-data
NSString *name = NSLocalizedStringFromTable(#"xml-locations-string", #"Main", nil);
//What to add at the end
NSString *append = #".xml";
//Merge strings to what you want to retrieve: spanish-data.xml
NSMutableString *file = [NSMutableString stringWithFormat:#"%#%#", name, append];
//From which URL
NSString *urlString = #"http://www.myDomain.com/ProjectName/";
//Create full URL http://www.myDomain.com/ProjectName/spanish-data.xml
NSString *fileUrl = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"%#%#", urlString, file];
NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:fileUrl];
The data you get back will now be the localized version. And you can use that to set table data or whatever you need.
This is the super simple and therefor not optimized way of doing it. Works for REST as well, you just need to reconstruct to fit your project.