Localization Generator #

A powerful and type-safe localization generator for Flutter applications using JSON files.

Features #

Type-Safe: Compile-time checking of translation keys
Nested JSON: Organize translations hierarchically for better maintainability
Modular: Support for feature-based file organization
Parameter Interpolation: Dynamic values in translations
Multi-Package: Monorepo support with independent localization per package
Customizable: Flexible configuration options
Production Ready: Comprehensive examples and testing

Why Use This Package? #

Traditional flat key-value translation files can become messy in large projects. This package uses nested JSON for better organization:

Traditional Approach:

{
  "auth_login_title": "Login",
  "auth_login_email": "Email",
  "auth_login_password": "Password"
}

Our Approach:

{
  "auth": {
    "login": {
      "title": "Login",
      "email": "Email",
      "password": "Password"
    }
  }
}

This generates clean, hierarchical code:

final l10n = AppLocalizations.of(context);
l10n.auth.login.title     // "Login"
l10n.auth.login.email     // "Email"
l10n.auth.login.password  // "Password"

Installation #

Add to your pubspec.yaml:

dev_dependencies:
  localization_gen: ^1.0.0

dependencies:
  flutter_localizations:
    sdk: flutter

Quick Start #

1. Configure #

Add configuration to pubspec.yaml:

localization_gen:
  input_dir: assets/localizations
  output_dir: lib/assets
  class_name: AppLocalizations

2. Create JSON Files #

Create assets/localizations/app_en.json:

{
  "@@locale": "en",
  "common": {
    "hello": "Hello",
    "save": "Save"
  },
  "home": {
    "welcome": "Welcome, {name}!"
  }
}

3. Generate Code #

dart run localization_gen:localization_gen

4. Use in App #

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:flutter_localizations/flutter_localizations.dart';
import 'assets/app_localizations.dart';

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      localizationsDelegates: const [
        AppLocalizationsExtension.delegate,
        GlobalMaterialLocalizations.delegate,
        GlobalWidgetsLocalizations.delegate,
      ],
      supportedLocales: AppLocalizations.supportedLocales,
      home: HomePage(),
    );
  }
}

class HomePage extends StatelessWidget {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    final l10n = AppLocalizations.of(context);
    return Scaffold(
      appBar: AppBar(title: Text(l10n.common.hello)),
      body: Text(l10n.home.welcome('John')),
    );
  }
}

Configuration Options #

localization_gen:
  # Required
  input_dir: assets/localizations    # Directory containing JSON files
  output_dir: lib/assets              # Where to generate Dart code
  class_name: AppLocalizations        # Name of generated class
  
  # Optional
  use_context: true                   # Enable context-aware access (default: true)
  nullable: false                     # Make translations non-nullable (default: false)
  modular: false                      # Use modular file organization (default: false)
  file_prefix: app                    # Prefix for JSON files (default: app)

JSON File Format #

Basic Structure #

{
  "@@locale": "en",
  "section": {
    "key": "Value",
    "nested": {
      "key": "Nested value"
    }
  }
}

With Parameters #

{
  "@@locale": "en",
  "greetings": {
    "welcome": "Welcome, {name}!",
    "items": "You have {count} items"
  }
}

Usage:

l10n.greetings.welcome('John')      // "Welcome, John!"
l10n.greetings.items('5')           // "You have 5 items"

Modular Organization #

For large projects, use modular organization with modular: true:

assets/localizations/
├── app_auth_en.json      # Authentication module
├── app_auth_id.json
├── app_home_en.json      # Home module
└── app_home_id.json

Each file includes module metadata:

{
  "@@locale": "en",
  "@@module": "auth",
  "login": {
    "title": "Login"
  }
}

Examples #

This package includes three comprehensive examples:

Default Example #

Traditional nested JSON approach. Best for small to medium apps.

View Example
12 tests, all passing

Modular Example #

Feature-based file organization. Best for large apps with multiple teams.

View Example
19 tests, all passing

Monorepo Example #

Multi-package architecture. Best for enterprise applications.

View Example
28 tests, all passing

See EXAMPLES.md for detailed comparison and usage.

Advanced Usage #

Language Switching #

class MyApp extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  State<MyApp> createState() => _MyAppState();
}

class _MyAppState extends State<MyApp> {
  Locale _locale = const Locale('en');

  void _changeLanguage(Locale locale) {
    setState(() => _locale = locale);
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      locale: _locale,
      localizationsDelegates: const [
        AppLocalizationsExtension.delegate,
        GlobalMaterialLocalizations.delegate,
      ],
      supportedLocales: AppLocalizations.supportedLocales,
      home: HomePage(onLanguageChange: _changeLanguage),
    );
  }
}

Accessing Translations #

// In a widget with BuildContext
final l10n = AppLocalizations.of(context);

// Nested access
l10n.auth.login.title

// With parameters
l10n.home.welcome('John')

// Deep nesting
l10n.settings.profile.edit.title

Multiple Locales #

Create one JSON file per locale:

app_en.json - English
app_id.json - Indonesian
app_es.json - Spanish
etc.

All files must have the same structure.

Testing #

Run tests for all examples:

./run_all_tests.sh

Or test individually:

cd example/default && flutter test
cd example/modular && flutter test
cd example/monorepo/app && flutter test
cd example/monorepo/core && flutter test

CI/CD Integration #

# .github/workflows/test.yml
name: Test
on: [ push, pull_request ]
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - uses: subosito/flutter-action@v2
      - run: flutter pub get
      - run: ./run_all_tests.sh

Comparison with Other Solutions #

Feature	localization_gen	intl	easy_localization
Nested JSON	Yes	No	Limited
Type Safety	Full	Partial	No
Modular Files	Yes	No	No
Code Generation	Yes	Yes	No
Configuration	YAML	Separate	YAML
Monorepo Support	Yes	No	No

Migration Guide #

From intl #

Convert ARB files to nested JSON
Update configuration
Generate code
Update import statements
Replace AppLocalizations.of(context)!.key with AppLocalizations.of(context).section.key

From easy_localization #

Convert flat JSON to nested structure
Add configuration to pubspec.yaml
Generate code
Replace tr('key') with AppLocalizations.of(context).section.key

Troubleshooting #

Issue: Generated file not found

Check output_dir in configuration
Ensure generator ran successfully
Verify file permissions

Issue: Translations not updating

Regenerate after JSON changes
Perform full restart (not hot reload)
Check for JSON syntax errors

Issue: Type errors

Ensure all locale files have same structure
Check for missing keys
Regenerate code

Issue: Locale not switching

Verify locale parameter in MaterialApp
Check supportedLocales list
Ensure delegates are properly configured

Best Practices #

Organize by Feature: Group related translations together
Use Nested Structure: Take advantage of hierarchical organization
Consistent Naming: Use clear, descriptive key names
Parameter Naming: Use meaningful parameter names like {userName} not {x}
Keep Synced: Ensure all locale files have the same structure
Version Control: Commit generated files for easier code review
Testing: Write tests for localized widgets
Documentation: Document special translation rules in code comments

Contributing #

Contributions are welcome! Please:

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Make your changes
Add tests
Submit a pull request

License #

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Support #

Acknowledgments #

Inspired by the need for better localization organization in large Flutter projects.

Version: 1.0.0
Dart SDK: >=3.0.0 <4.0.0
Flutter: >=3.0.0

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