.. _i18n-api:

i18n API
========

.. currentmodule:: sphinx.locale

.. autofunction:: init

.. autofunction:: init_console

.. autofunction:: get_translation

.. autofunction:: _

.. autofunction:: __


.. _ext-i18n:

Extension internationalization (`i18n`) and localization (`l10n`) using i18n API
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.. versionadded:: 1.8

An extension may naturally come with message translations.  This is briefly
summarized in :func:`sphinx.locale.get_translation` help.

In practice, you have to:

#. Choose a name for your message catalog, which must be unique.  Usually
   the name of your extension is used for the name of message catalog.

#. Mark in your extension sources all messages as translatable, via
   :func:`sphinx.locale.get_translation` function, usually renamed ``_()``,
   e.g.:

   .. code-block:: python
      :caption: src/__init__.py

      from sphinx.locale import get_translation

      MESSAGE_CATALOG_NAME = 'myextension'
      _ = get_translation(MESSAGE_CATALOG_NAME)

      translated_text = _('Hello Sphinx!')

#. Set up your extension to be aware of its dedicated translations:

   .. code-block:: python
      :caption: src/__init__.py

      def setup(app):
          package_dir = path.abspath(path.dirname(__file__))
          locale_dir = os.path.join(package_dir, 'locales')
          app.add_message_catalog(MESSAGE_CATALOG_NAME, locale_dir)

#. Generate message catalog template ``*.pot`` file, usually in ``locale/``
   source directory, for example via `Babel`_:

   .. code-block:: console

      $ pybabel extract --output=src/locale/myextension.pot src/

#. Create message catalogs (``*.po``) for each language which your extension
   will provide localization, for example via `Babel`_:

   .. code-block:: console

      $ pybabel init --input-file=src/locale/myextension.pot --domain=myextension --output-dir=src/locale --locale=fr_FR

#. Translate message catalogs for each language manually

#. Compile message catalogs into ``*.mo`` files, for example via `Babel`_:

   .. code-block:: console

      $ pybabel compile --directory=src/locale --domain=myextension

#. Ensure that message catalog files are distributed when your package will
   be installed, by adding equivalent line in your extension ``MANIFEST.in``:

   .. code-block:: ini
      :caption: MANIFEST.in

      recursive-include src *.pot *.po *.mo


When the messages on your extension has been changed, you need to also update
message catalog template and message catalogs, for example via `Babel`_:

.. code-block:: console

   $ pybabel extract --output=src/locale/myextension.pot src/
   $ pybabel update --input-file=src/locale/myextension.pot --domain=myextension --output-dir=src/locale

.. _Babel: http://babel.pocoo.org/
