.. include:: ../../../Includes.txt .. _cgl-localization: ============ Localization ============ TYPO3 is designed to be fully localizable. Hard-coded strings should thus be avoided unless there are some technical limitations (e.g. some very early or low-level stuff where a :php:`$GLOBALS['LANG']` object is not yet available). Defining Localized Strings ========================== Here are some rules to respect when working with labels in :file:`locallang` files: * Always check the existing locallang files to see if a given localized string already exists, in particular :file:`EXT:lang/locallang_common.xlf` and :file:`EXT:lang/locallang_core.xlf`. * Localized strings should never be all uppercase. If uppercase is needed, then appropriate methods should be used to transform them to uppercase. * Localized strings must not be split into several parts to include stuff in their middle. Rather use a single string with :php:`sprintf()` markers (:code:`%s`, :code:`%d`, etc.). * When a localized string contains several :php:`sprintf()` markers, it **must** use numbered arguments (e.g. :code:`%1$d`). * Localized strings should never contain configuration options (e.g. :code:`index_config:timer_frequency`, which would display a link or :file:`EXT:wizard_crpages/cshimages/wizards_1.png`, which would show an image). Configuration like this does not belong in language labels, but in TypoScript. * Localized strings are not supposed to contain HTML tags, except for CSH. They should be avoided whenever possible. * Punctuation marks must be included in the localized string – including trailing marks – as different punctuation marks (e.g. "?" and "¿") may be used in various languages. Also some languages include blanks before some punctuation marks. Once a localized string appears in a released version of TYPO3, it cannot be changed (unless it needs grammar or spelling fixes). Nor can it be removed. If the label of a localized string has to be changed, a new one should be introduced instead.