The Jetpack team has been working tirelessly to make it easier to create add-ons for mozilla products. They know that 70% of Firefox users are non-English-speaking, and thus understand that localization is a high priority for any add-ons developer. To help add-on developers create localizable add-ons, the Jetpack team has added new L10n features to their add-on SDK to make the add-on L10n process easy and scalable. Here’s a peek at some of these L10n features.
Jetpack uses the l10n module to help developers write localizable code, making L10n easier for localizers. Using the l10n module, add-on developers only need to assign the l10n module’s get function and use that function to reference localizable strings in locale-specific properties files. Within the properties files, each source string functions as a key with its target translation as the key’s value and is recalled according to the browser’s locale setting. It’s really that easy!
In addition to making the work easier for add-on developers, localizers also have an easier time of localizing this content, mostly because it is not different from what you’re all used to. The l10n module allows developers to recall strings from resource properties files. This way localizers translate content within their locale’s properties files, just as they would within other mozilla extensions. Add-on L10n is thus not too different from extension L10n.
While add-on L10n fits well within the mozilla L10n process, there are some limitations that localizers should be aware of. For example, the Jetpack SDK currently supports basic localization of strings appearing in the main add-on’s JavaScript code, but not HTML, CSS, or content scripts. Don’t worry though, it’s coming soon.
For more detailed information on Jetpack L10n, it’s advantages and current limitations, visit the L10n topic in the Jetpack documentation.
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