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basic_message

A structured, type-safe, and compile-time mapping localization framework for Dart, specifically designed for multi-environment projects (Flutter GUI and Dart CLI). It enables "Define Once, Use Everywhere" by decoupling business logic from platform-specific translation implementations.

Why basic_message?

Building a full-stack Dart/Flutter project often leads to fragmented localization management. basic_message solves these common pain points:

• Unified Definition: Define messages in a shared package; reuse them seamlessly across CLI, GUI, and Server.
• Type Safety: Leverage Dart enum and Generics to catch missing translation keys at compile-time.
• Platform Decoupling: Use a unified MessageProvider interface to bridge the gap between context-dependent Flutter apps and context-free CLI tools.
• ARB Standard: Native support for the ARB (Application Resource Bundle) format, ensuring compatibility with professional translation platforms.
• Zero Runtime Overhead: Utilize code generation to bind keys, maintaining high performance in both GUI and CLI environments.
• Sophisticated Rendering: Built-in support for dynamic parameters, plurals, and gender-based localization, abstracting the complexity of the intl package.

Quick Start

Core Workflow

1. Define: Create a shared MessageEnum in a central package.
2. Generate: Extract ARB files for translation management.
3. Integrate: Implement a platform-specific MessageProvider.
4. Execute: Use MessageEngine.tr() to dispatch translations anywhere in your app.

1. Installation

dart pub add basic_message

2. Define Messages (Shared Package)

Create a dedicated package (e.g., share_message) to hold your message definitions.

# packages/share_message/pubspec.yaml
dependencies:
  basic_message: ^1.0.0

// packages/share_message/lib/src/share_message_base.dart
import 'package:basic_message/basic_message.dart';

enum AppMessage implements MessageEnum {
  welcomeLabel(
    1001,
    'home_index_header_welcome_label',
    'Welcome, {username}!',
    'Personalized welcome message',
    param: {'username': 'Guest'},
  );
  
  // ... implement MessageEnum interface (code, key, msg, param, desc)

  @override
  final int code;
  @override
  final String key;
  @override
  final String msg;
  @override
  final Map<String, Object> param;
  @override
  final String desc;

  const AppMessage(
    this.code,
    this.key,
    this.msg,
    this.desc, {
    this.param = const {},
  });
}

3. Generate ARB Resources

Use the provided CLI tools to bridge your enums and the standard intl pipeline:

1. dart run basic_message:gen_msg_resource — Generates intermediate resource classes.
2. dart run intl_translation:extract_to_arb — Extracts the ARB files for your translation team.
3. Translate the ARB files, then run generate_from_arb to create the localized Dart code.

(For full automation, see our Design Guide and the Example Repository).

4. CLI Integration

Step: Add the shared message package dependency, copy the CliMessageProvider boilerplate from the Example Repository, and initialize MessageEngine in your main() entry point.

// Conceptual snippet: please refer to 'cli_example' for the full implementation
import 'package:basic_message/basic_message.dart';

void main() {
  MessageEngine.init(CliMessageProvider('en'));
  print(MessageEngine.tr(AppMessage.welcomeLabel, args: {'username': 'Alice'}));
}

5. Flutter Integration

Step: Add the shared message package dependency, run flutter gen-l10n, copy the GuiMessageProvider boilerplate and registry generator from the Example Repository, and initialize MessageEngine within a Builder to gain BuildContext access.

// Conceptual snippet: please refer to 'gui_example' for the full implementation
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:basic_message/basic_message.dart';

void main() {
  runApp(MyApp());
}

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    MessageEngine.init(GuiMessageProvider(context));
    return MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        body: Text(MessageEngine.tr(AppMessage.welcomeLabel)),
      ),
    );
  }
}

v2 Update (v1.0.2)

v2 introduces the 5-Level Semantic Coordinate Architecture and a Late-Binding workflow, designed to enhance rigor and maintainability in localization management for large-scale projects. For detailed specifications, please refer to L10N_NAMING_GUIDE2.md.

Real-world Implementation References

To help developers effectively adopt the v2 standard, we provide the following reference implementations, demonstrating how to efficiently integrate basic_message in complex business scenarios:

• CLI Localization: See chapose, a tool focused on command-line file encryption and decryption.
• GUI Localization: See chabox, a graphical workstation focused on personal privacy and secure file storage.

Both modules are derived from the chacrypt project—an ecosystem dedicated to offline file security and data sovereignty. Visit the GitHub repository to learn more.

Resources

• Design Guide: Deep dive into architecture, workflows, and best practices.
• Naming Convention: Standardized five-level naming strategy for team consistency.
• Example Repository: A complete, ready-to-run boilerplate including share_message, cli_example, and gui_example.