possible to default at locale if definition not found

[grd2345]

Lets say I have two files, one called es.json and one called es_MX.json and have my common spanish definitions in es.json and my Mexico definitions in es_MX. Is it possible for i18n to grab the definitions in es.json if es_MX.json does not contain it. Currently I have to define definitions in both files, even though some will be identical, etc.

[robertwbradford]

+1

I've been thinking about this too. https://github.com/jeresig/i18n-node-2 has an interesting base configuration option where you can define a function to redefine the locale names as needed. I had done the following when trying his package:

i18n.expressBind(app, {
  locales:['eng', 'eng-gb', 'spa', 'jpn'],
  // Use the first three characters of a locale as the "base" locale.
  // Basically, this allows an `aaa-bb` locale to get things from an `aaa` locale.
  base: function(locale) {
    return locale.slice(0,3);
  },
  defaultLocale: 'eng',
  // ...
});

However, it looks a little limited and doesn't "inherit" as I would like it to. I haven't studied the i18n-node code too much, but what about something like the following?

Start by having another configuration option where you can provide a handler function that accepts the "child" locale name and returns the "parent" local name it should inherit from. (Or perhaps, the current fallbacks option could accept an object or a function and be smart enough to handler either?) For example with the OP:

i18n.configure({
  locales:['es', 'es_MX'],
  parentLocale: function(child) {
    // Do something that returns the "parent" locale name for the given `child` locale name.
    // Given the OP example, have it return the first two characters:
    return child.slice(0,2);
  },
  // ...
});

Then when the locale catalog is loaded, it would do something like the following pseudo code:

var deepmerge = require('deepmerge');

function whateverTheFunctionIsThatLoadsTheCatalogForTheCurrentLocale(locale) {
  var parentLocale = parentLocale(locale),
      childCatalog = someFunctionThatLoadsTheJSON(locale),
      parentCatalog = someFunctionThatLoadsTheJSON(parentLocale);

  // Have "child" override any "parent" properties
  return deepmerge(parentCatalog, childCatalog);
}

Just some thoughts. I'd need to study up some more on the code base to see if this is possible. Haven't used the deepmerge package, so there may be a better solution out there.

It could even get crazy and allow recursive inheritance (e.g., "es_MZ-something" < "es_MZ" < "es").

[mashpie]

ok, I think one could setup such like so with fallbacks (https://github.com/mashpie/i18n-node#list-of-configuration-options):

    fallbacks: {
      'es': 'es_MZ',
      'es_MZ': 'es_MZ-something'
    },

tests don't cover that scenario at the moment (https://github.com/mashpie/i18n-node/blob/master/test/i18n.fallbacks.js). Excepting a callback in configuration of fallbacks sounds like the most flexible option.

I'll keep that in backlog for now to focus on open PRs and setLocale refactory.

[simonmilz]

+1

[jsilveira]

If I understand correctly, this is still an issue and there is no way to have fallback locales at "key" level, right? (for example, having a 'en-gb' locale which overrides just a couple of translations of 'en' locale)

[matt-blanchette]

Yes, I'm seeing the same issue with having partial translations and not falling back to either language or default locale (even with retryInDefaultLocale: true and fallbacks).

If I have key1 defined in 'ja-JP', key2 defined in 'ja', and all keys defined under default locale: Lookup of key2 with locale 'ja-JP' is not found (returning the key / missingKeyFn), despite being defined under 'ja' and default locale. If both keys were defined only under 'ja' this would work looking up as 'ja-JP' (fallbacks 'ja-*':'ja' works, and default locale returned without fallbacks config) The partial translation breaks the fallback to lang.