The document discusses localizing iOS apps to increase revenue. It recommends using NSLocalizedString() to extract all text for translation. The genstrings tool generates localization files from these strings for translators. Once translated, the files are added to language-specific projects. Localizing images, text set in Interface Builder, and leveraging localization for marketing are also covered.

1. Localizing iOS Apps
Anthony Weiss
weissazool.com
anthony@weissazool.com
Friday, November 9, 12

2. Why localize?
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3. You make more money.
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4. Fixed cost of translation
vs.
Unlimited potential
upside
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5. Time investment:
Minimal.
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6. How to prepare your
app for localization:
NSLocalizedString(key, comment)
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7. labelExample.text =
! NSLocalizedString(@"NSLocalizedString() example",
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! @"Translate 'example' only");
if (papayas == 0) {
papayaPlurality = NSLocalizedString(@"NoPapayas",
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! @"No papayas.");
additionalComment = NSLocalizedString(@"How sad.",
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! @"Regretfulness");
}
return [NSString stringWithFormat:
! ! ! ! NSLocalizedString(@"You have %d %@. %@",
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! @"Papaya possession"),
! ! ! ! papayas, papayaPlurality, additionalComment];
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8. Comments can give
your translators
context.
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9. Everything’s in
NSLocalizedString().
Now what?
The genstrings command-line tool.
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10. What’s genstrings?
genstrings searches your code for macros related to
localization, including NSLocalizedString().
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11. genstrings en.lproj
genstrings -o target-directory source-files
genstrings -o target-directory other-source-files -a
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12. /* Translate 'example' only */
"NSLocalizedString() example" =
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! "NSLocalizedString() example";
/* No papayas. */
"NoPapayas" = "papayas";
/* Regretfulness */
"How sad." = "How sad.";
/* Papaya possession */
"You have %d %@. %@" = "You have %1$d %2$@. %3$@";
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13. /* Translate 'example' only */
"NSLocalizedString() example" = "Ejemplo de
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! NSLocalizedString()";
/* No papayas. */
"NoPapayas" = "papayas";
/* Regretfulness */
"How sad." = "Que lástima. ";
/* Papaya possession */
"You have %d %@. %@" = "%3$@Usted tiene %1$d %2$@.";
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14. /* Papaya possession */
"You have %d %@. %@" = "You have %1$d %2$@. %3$@";
/* Papaya possession */
"You have %d %@. %@" = "%3$@Usted tiene %1$d %2$@.";
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15. Friday, November 9, 12

16. How does
NSLocalizedString() work?
It’s dictionaries all the way down.
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17. NSLocalizedStringFrom
Table(key, table, comment)
Looks up your string in table.strings
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18. Adding localizations to
your project
Let’s localizing!
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19. Friday, November 9, 12

20. I’ve got images with
English text in them.
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21. en.lproj/aybabtu.png
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22. en.lproj/aybabtu.png
ja.lproj/aybabtu.png
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23. en.lproj/aybabtu.png
ja.lproj/aybabtu.png
es.lproj/aybabtu.png
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24. Friday, November 9, 12

25. I like Interface Builder. I
don’t want to set my UI
text in code.
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26. ibtool
ibtool --generate-strings-file MainStoryboard.strings
MainStoryboard.storyboard
ibtool --generate-strings-file NibName.strings NibName.xib
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27. /* Class = "IBUILabel"; text = "This text has been
laid out in the nib."; ObjectID = "3ZM-yV-HpI"; */
"3ZM-yV-HpI.text" = "This text has been laid out
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! in the nib.";
/* Class = "IBUILabel"; text = "Just the way I
like it!"; ObjectID = "Oxg-9T-bKW"; */
"Oxg-9T-bKW.text" = "Just the way I like it!";
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28. ibtool --strings-file es.lproj/MainStoryboard.strings
--write es.lproj/MainStoryboard.storyboard
en.lproj/MainStoryboard.storyboard
ibtool --strings-file target-language/NibName.strings
--write target-language/NibName.xib
base-language/NibName.xib
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29. Friday, November 9, 12

30. Friday, November 9, 12

31. Friday, November 9, 12

32. Money, revisited.
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33. • Cost of translation: ¥8,000
• Revenue per sale: ¥60
• Sell 8000/60 = 135 extra apps in that
language to break even.
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34. Localization gives you a
competitive advantage.
Which you need to leverage with sales and marketing.
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35. Additional Resources
• https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/
LoadingResources/Strings/Strings.html
• https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/MacOSX/
Conceptual/BPInternational/Articles/LocalizingInterfaces.html
• http://gengo.com/contact-support/quality-policy/
• http://kb.applingua.com/2011/10/3rd-party-localization-string-extraction-
tools/
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36. WZLocalize
github.com/weissazool/WZLocalize
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