Android: Localization

Introduction

The next step in development Android application will be localization. I've read documentation from official site and from http://www.icanlocalize.com/ and decided to describe it.


Sequence of resources lookup.

How does android lookup the resources from applications?
The example of lookup steps below:

1. ‘res/values-en-rUS/strings.xml’
2. ‘res/values-en/strings.xml’
3. ‘res/values/strings.xml’

Firsltly Android looks for resources in en-rUS folder if not found, looks in -en folder and just after it in default. If resource has been found then  the search stops.

Dismantle folders structure

The next question that worried me : What does it mean -rUS why is not just en?
The answer is, There are countries with two or more official languages for example Switzerland but there no Swiss language just French or/and German. The fisrt -<symbol>- (in our example -en-) means language, -r means region and after -r name of region. For instance for French language in Switzerland will be
       res/values-fr-rCH
This rules works for other resources like pictures and so on.


Conclusion

If you want to localize your application just:

• create folders for all localized resources using above convention 
• put localized files into folders
• start your application

P.S. And yes you must not to use strings in code just from resource files.

And that is all ...
Cheers!