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Translations in Fireback

Fireback is coming with internaionlization in mind, on backend, database level, and front-end. In this document we are gonna discuss the strategies, tools and other important info regarding.

Translation in commercial projects​

I've seen a lot of projects start in local language, and after a while they need to modify nearly all files in the application. The decision "This app doesn't need to be translated" is a dangerous thought from time perspective, because:

  • You can't be sure this project won't need translations, things change over time
  • You build components that are not that portable. Even though this project doesn't need translation, some sections of it could be easily used somewhere else if you built it through
  • Project is not really modular after all.

Translation of the content​

Fireback allows a field called translate: true on entities root fields. When you apply translate to a field in an entity, there will be a second table created for it. For example Fireback capability entity:

  - name: capability
    cliShort: cap
    security:
      writeOnRoot: true
    description: >-
      Manage the capabilities inside the application, both builtin to core and
      custom defined ones
    fields:
      - name: name
        type: string
      - name: description
        type: string
        translate: true

As you see, the description will be translated. Fireback creates a table called fb_capability_entity_polyglots, and adds all those fields which are marked as translated,

Note: At 1.2.0 only root fields are being translated Note: Using such translation requires you always join the table with translation table. This might affect the import/export performance or custom query strategies.

Translating errors and other strings in backend​

Fireback for backend uses concept of messages for translating in backend. Basically, any string which might need translation is a message, and it's discussed in it's own document Messages

Simply, you put all strings and translations into the yaml file, and use them in your go code. Fireback helps to use the correct translation based on locale by default.

Translating on front-end​

Fireback also provides a tool called fireback gen strings which could be used to generate typescript translations (or other languages in future) from yaml files.