i18n/l10n Guidelines Skill

i18n/l10n Guidelines

Internationalization and localization patterns for multi-locale support. All components must support multiple locales with proper formatting for dates, numbers, and currency.

When to Apply

Reference these patterns when:

Implementing translations
Formatting dates, numbers, or currency
Handling locale-specific content
Creating form labels and error messages

Supported Locales

en-US (English - United States) - Default
fr-CA (French - Canada)
es-US (Spanish - United States)

⚠️ CRITICAL: TypeScript Overload Issue

Always use type assertion when calling t() function:

// ✅ CORRECT - Use type assertion
const t = useTranslation() as (key: string, options?: any) => string;
const title = t('transactions.title', { defaultValue: 'Transactions' });

Quick Reference

Core Principles

Always use useTranslation hook - Never hardcode text strings
Locale-aware formatting - Respect current locale for dates/numbers/currency
Default values - Always provide defaultValue for fallback
Type assertion - Use as to avoid TypeScript overload issues

Essential Patterns

Translation keys: Hierarchical, descriptive (e.g., transactions.columns.date)
Locale detection: Use useLocale() hook
Date formatting: Use toLocaleDateString(locale, {...})
Currency formatting: Use formatNumberToCurrency(amount, currency, locale)

Translation Pattern

import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';

export const MyComponent: FC = () => {
  // ✅ Type assertion to avoid overload issues
  const t = useTranslation() as (key: string, options?: any) => string;

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>{t('component.title', { defaultValue: 'Default Title' })}</h1>
      <p>{t('component.description', { 
        defaultValue: 'Description text',
        name: userName 
      })}</p>
    </div>
  );
};

Translation Keys

Namespace Organization

Each component/feature: own namespace (transactions, accounts)
Common translations: common namespace
Validation: validation namespace

Key Structure

// ✅ GOOD - Hierarchical, descriptive
t('transactions.columns.date', { defaultValue: 'Date' })
t('transactions.errors.failedToLoadTitle', { defaultValue: 'Failed to load transactions' })
t('transactions.toolbar.allStatuses', { defaultValue: 'All statuses' })

// ❌ BAD - Flat, ambiguous
t('date')
t('error')
t('all')

Default Values

Always provide defaultValue:

// ✅ GOOD - With default
t('transactions.title', { defaultValue: 'Transactions' })

// ❌ BAD - No fallback
t('transactions.title')

Locale Detection

Use the useLocale() hook:

import { useLocale } from '@/lib/hooks';

const MyComponent = () => {
  const locale = useLocale(); // Returns 'en-US', 'fr-CA', etc.
  // Use locale for formatting
};

Language Code vs Locale String

Language Code: i18next format ('enUS', 'frCA')
Locale String: Intl API format ('en-US', 'fr-CA')
Convert using getLocaleFromLanguage() utility

Date Formatting

Rules

Always use locale parameter (never hardcode 'en-US')
Use appropriate format (Date vs DateTime)
Handle undefined/null with fallback

Pattern

import { useLocale } from '@/lib/hooks';

const MyComponent = () => {
  const t = useTranslation() as (key: string, options?: any) => string;
  const locale = useLocale();
  const naText = t('common:na', { defaultValue: 'N/A' });

  // Date only
  const formatDate = (date?: string): string => {
    if (!date) return naText;
    return new Date(date).toLocaleDateString(locale, {
      year: 'numeric',
      month: 'short',
      day: 'numeric',
    });
  };

  // Date and time
  const formatDateTime = (date?: string): string => {
    if (!date) return naText;
    return new Date(date).toLocaleString(locale, {
      year: 'numeric',
      month: 'short',
      day: 'numeric',
      hour: '2-digit',
      minute: '2-digit',
    });
  };
};

Do's and Don'ts

// ✅ DO - Use locale from hook
const locale = useLocale();
const formatted = new Date(date).toLocaleDateString(locale, {...});

// ✅ DO - Provide fallback
if (!date) return naText;

// ❌ DON'T - Hardcode locale
new Date(date).toLocaleDateString('en-US', {...});

// ❌ DON'T - No fallback
new Date(date).toLocaleDateString(locale, {...});

Currency Formatting

Rules

Use formatNumberToCurrency utility
Always pass locale
Handle undefined amounts

Pattern

import { formatNumberToCurrency } from './utils';
import { useLocale } from '@/lib/hooks';

const MyComponent = () => {
  const locale = useLocale();
  const t = useTranslation() as (key: string, options?: any) => string;
  const naText = t('common:na', { defaultValue: 'N/A' });

  const formattedAmount = transaction.amount
    ? formatNumberToCurrency(
        transaction.amount,
        transaction.currency ?? 'USD',
        locale
      )
    : naText;
};

Utility Function

/**
 * Formats a number as currency using the specified locale
 * @param amount - The amount to format
 * @param currency - The currency code (e.g., 'USD', 'CAD')
 * @param locale - The locale string (defaults to 'en-US')
 * @returns Formatted currency string
 */
export const formatNumberToCurrency = (
  amount: number,
  currency: string,
  locale: string = 'en-US'
): string => {
  const formatter = new Intl.NumberFormat(locale, {
    style: 'currency',
    currency,
  });
  return formatter.format(amount);
};

Number Formatting

// Basic number
const formatNumber = (value: number, locale: string = 'en-US'): string => {
  return new Intl.NumberFormat(locale).format(value);
};

// Percentage
const formatPercentage = (value: number, locale: string = 'en-US'): string => {
  return new Intl.NumberFormat(locale, {
    style: 'percent',
    minimumFractionDigits: 0,
    maximumFractionDigits: 2,
  }).format(value);
};

// Decimal places
const formatDecimal = (
  value: number,
  decimals: number = 2,
  locale: string = 'en-US'
): string => {
  return new Intl.NumberFormat(locale, {
    minimumFractionDigits: decimals,
    maximumFractionDigits: decimals,
  }).format(value);
};

Pluralization

// Translation file
{
  "items": "{{count}} item",
  "items_plural": "{{count}} items"
}

// Component
const itemCount = t('items', { 
  defaultValue: '{{count}} item',
  count: items.length 
});
// count=1: "1 item"
// count=2: "2 items"

Interpolation

// Translation file
{
  "welcome": "Welcome, {{name}}!",
  "balance": "Your balance is {{amount}}"
}

// Component
const welcome = t('welcome', { 
  defaultValue: 'Welcome, {{name}}!',
  name: userName 
});

const balance = t('balance', { 
  defaultValue: 'Your balance is {{amount}}',
  amount: formatNumberToCurrency(amount, 'USD', locale)
});

Context-Specific Translations

// Translation file
{
  "status_pending": "Pending",
  "status_completed": "Completed",
  "status_failed": "Failed"
}

// Component
const getStatusText = (status: Status): string => {
  return t(`status_${status.toLowerCase()}`, { 
    defaultValue: status 
  });
};

Best Practices

Type assertion - Always use as for t function
Default values - Required for all translation calls
Locale parameter - Never hardcode, use useLocale()
Fallback text - Handle undefined/null values
Namespace organization - Group related translations
Descriptive keys - Use hierarchical, clear keys
Consistent formatting - Use utility functions

Common Patterns

Form Labels and Placeholders

const t = useTranslation() as (key: string, options?: any) => string;

<Input
  label={t('form.email.label', { defaultValue: 'Email Address' })}
  placeholder={t('form.email.placeholder', { defaultValue: 'Enter your email' })}
  error={t('form.email.error', { defaultValue: 'Invalid email address' })}
/>

Error Messages

const t = useTranslation() as (key: string, options?: any) => string;

<ServerErrorAlert
  error={apiError}
  customErrorMessage={{
    "400": t('errors.badRequest', { 
      defaultValue: 'Please check your information.' 
    }),
    "401": t('errors.unauthorized', { 
      defaultValue: 'Please log in again.' 
    }),
    "500": t('errors.serverError', { 
      defaultValue: 'An unexpected error occurred.' 
    }),
    default: t('errors.default', { 
      defaultValue: 'An error occurred.' 
    }),
  }}
/>

Table Columns

const columns = [
  {
    key: 'date',
    label: t('columns.date', { defaultValue: 'Date' }),
    render: (row) => formatDate(row.date, locale),
  },
  {
    key: 'amount',
    label: t('columns.amount', { defaultValue: 'Amount' }),
    render: (row) => formatNumberToCurrency(row.amount, row.currency, locale),
  },
];

Testing with Locales

import { renderWithProviders } from '@test-utils';

test('displays formatted date in French', () => {
  renderWithProviders(<Component />, { locale: 'fr-CA' });
  
  expect(screen.getByText(/janv/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
});

test('displays formatted currency in Canadian dollars', () => {
  renderWithProviders(<Component />, { locale: 'fr-CA' });
  
  expect(screen.getByText(/\$\s*1\s*234,56/)).toBeInTheDocument();
});

Anti-Patterns

❌ Hardcoded text strings
❌ Hardcoded 'en-US' locale
❌ Missing default values
❌ No fallback for undefined values
❌ Not using type assertion for t function
❌ Flat, ambiguous translation keys

How to Use

For detailed instructions, examples, and patterns:

Full guide: AGENTS.md - Complete i18n/l10n documentation

References

See AGENTS.md for complete i18n/l10n documentation
i18next documentation: https://www.i18next.com/
Intl API: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Intl

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