Play Framework app internationalization and localization

Play Framework is a high-velocity reactive web framework for Java and Scala. It is based on a lightweight, stateless, web-friendly architecture and features predictable and minimal resource consumption (CPU, memory, threads) for highly-scalable applications.

🔗Play Framework applications are usually translated using these file formats

🔗Best way to localize Play Framework apps

Play Framework has built-in internationalization (i18n) support. Messages are stored in files named messages, messages.en, messages.fr, etc. in the conf/ directory.

🔗Step 1: Configure languages

In conf/application.conf, configure the languages your application supports:

play.i18n.langs = [ "en", "fr", "de", "es" ]

🔗Step 2: Create message files

Create your message files in the conf/ directory:

conf/messages (default/fallback)

hello = Hello
welcome = Welcome to our application

conf/messages.fr (French)

hello = Bonjour
welcome = Bienvenue dans notre application

🔗Step 3: Use messages in your application

In Scala templates:

@import play.api.i18n._
@(implicit messages: Messages)

<h1>@messages("hello")</h1>

In Java controllers:

public Result index(Http.Request request) {
    Messages messages = messagesApi.preferred(request);
    return ok(messages.at("hello"));
}

🔗Step 4: Translate with WebTranslateIt

Once you have internationalized your Play Framework app, use a translation software localization tool such as WebTranslateIt to manage your localization workflow.

It is easy to translate a Play Framework app with WebTranslateIt. Create a project, upload your source messages file in the File Manager and translate it on the Translation Interface.

The tools included in WebTranslateIt, such as Batch Operations, the Translation Memory or Machine Translation can help you translate that file automatically, faster and cost effectively.

🔗Links of interest

• WebTranslateIt’s CLI to help sync language files.
• Play Framework i18n documentation official Play Framework internationalization guide.
• Play Framework Java i18n internationalization guide for Java.