Enables real-time locale switching for Compose UIs with a simple wrapper composable and LocaleUpdater API, resource-based string management, and optional browser navigator.languages override.
Localization is one of the most important aspects of the user experience when building software that supports
inclusivity by allowing users to use your software in their preferred language. Compose Multiplatform supports
localization out of the box, but changing the locale in real time is a bit trickier and requires writing a lot of
boilerplate code, which is also challenging to understand. Localina Is a Kotlin Multiplatform library that allows you
to update the locale of your Compose Multiplatform app in real time.
View a live preview of Localina in action: Localina Live Preview
To get started, add the Localina dependency to your existing Gradle project. To make Localina
available in any module's classpath, copy and paste the following line into your module's build.gradle.kts file under
the dependencies block as shown below.
kotlin {
sourceSets {
commonMain.dependencies {
// Other dependencies will go here
implementation("io.github.sudarshanmhasrup.localina:localina:1.0.0-beta4")
}
}
}
To quickly copy the dependency, you can use the following command:
implementation("io.github.sudarshanmhasrup.localina:localina:1.0.0-beta4")
If your project uses a version catalog for centralized dependency management, then add the following lines to your
libs.versions.toml file:
[versions]
# Other version declarations will go here
localina = "1.0.0-beta4"
[libraries]
# Other libraries declarations will go here
localina = { module = "io.github.sudarshanmhasrup.localina:localina", version.ref = "localina" }
Then you can refer to the dependency in your module's build.gradle.kts file like this:
kotlin {
sourceSets {
commonMain.dependencies {
// Other dependencies will go here
implementation(libs.localina)
}
}
}
To quickly copy the dependency, you can use the following command:
implementation(libs.localina)
It's super easy to use Localina for updating your app's locale in real-time. Follow these three steps and you're good
to go.
Store all your string resources under commonMain/composeResource directory and add localized strings for each
supported language, like this:
commonMain/composeResources/
├── values/
│ └── strings.xml
├── values-hi/
│ └── strings.xml
├── values-fr/
│ └── strings.xml
└── ... (other locale directories)
Wrap all your UI code inside the LocalinaApp composable, like this:
@Suppress("FunctionName")
@Composable
fun App() {
LocalinaApp {
// Your UI code here
}
}
To change the language at runtime, call the updateLocale() function with your desired locale code.
// Replace "hi" with your desired locale code.
LocaleUpdater.updateLocale(locale = "hi")
// Or change language using Locale enum
@OptIn(ExperimentalLocalinaApi::class)
LocaleUpdater.updateLocale(locale = Locale.Hindi)
In your browser's index.html, put the following code before loading the application scripts:
Localina supports all platforms that Compose Multiplatform supports. This includes:
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.
Thank you so much for checking out the Localina project. If you like my work on this project, feel free to give a star
to the repository. Happy coding!
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
...
<script>
var currentLanguagesImplementation = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(Navigator.prototype, "languages");
var newLanguagesImplementation = Object.assign({}, currentLanguagesImplementation, {
get: function () {
if (window.__customLocale) {
return [window.__customLocale];
} else {
return currentLanguagesImplementation.get.apply(this);
}
}
});
Object.defineProperty(Navigator.prototype, "languages", newLanguagesImplementation)
</script>
<script src="skiko.js"></script>
...
</head>
<body></body>
<script src="composeApp.js"></script>
</html>
| Platform | Target(s) |
|---|
| Android | android() |
| iOS | iosX64(), iosArm64(),iosSimulatorArm64() |
| Desktop | jvm() |
| Web | wasmJs(), js() |
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