Change language in android application using string file

Question

I'm new in java and actually developing a game app and I wanted add a feature which could change languages in the game.

I already made 2 strings.xml. One is the default (English), the other one is the translated version (File)

Here's my code

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class LanguageActivity extends Activity {
  private static Button button_fil;
  private static Button button_eng;

  public void onButtonClickListener() {
    button_fil = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnFilipino);
    button_fil.setOnClickListener(
      new View.OnClickListener() {@
        Override
        public void onClick(View v) {
          Toast.makeText(LanguageActivity.this, "Filipino Language", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        }
      }
    );

    button_eng = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnEnglish);
    button_eng.setOnClickListener(
      new View.OnClickListener() {@
        Override
        public void onClick(View v) {
          Toast.makeText(LanguageActivity.this, "English Language", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        }
      }
    );

  }


  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.language);
    onButtonClickListener();

  }

Thanks a lot!

Solution 1

Try this example please. Maybe it will help you. Here i used a spinner for selecting language.

In your actvity

import java.util.Locale;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.res.Configuration;
import android.content.res.Resources;
import android.util.DisplayMetrics;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.AdapterView;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.Spinner;
import android.widget.Toast;
import android.widget.AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener;

public class AndroidLocalize extends Activity {
    Spinner spinnerctrl;
    Button btn;
    Locale myLocale;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);
        spinnerctrl = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.spinner1);
        spinnerctrl.setOnItemSelectedListener(new OnItemSelectedListener() {

            public void onItemSelected(AdapterView<?> parent, View view,
                    int pos, long id) {

                if (pos == 1) {

                    Toast.makeText(parent.getContext(),
                            "You have selected Tamil", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT)
                            .show();
                    setLocale("ta");
                } else if (pos == 2) {

                    Toast.makeText(parent.getContext(),
                            "You have selected Hindi", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT)
                            .show();
                    setLocale("hi");
                } else if (pos == 3) {

                    Toast.makeText(parent.getContext(),
                            "You have selected English", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT)
                            .show();
                    setLocale("en");
                }

            }

            public void onNothingSelected(AdapterView<?> arg0) {
                // TODO Auto-generated method stub
            }

        });
    }

    public void setLocale(String lang) {

        myLocale = new Locale(lang);
        Resources res = getResources();
        DisplayMetrics dm = res.getDisplayMetrics();
        Configuration conf = res.getConfiguration();
        conf.locale = myLocale;
        res.updateConfiguration(conf, dm);
        Intent refresh = new Intent(this, AndroidLocalize.class);
        startActivity(refresh);
    }
}

in your XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/greet"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="@string/greet"
        android:textSize="25sp" android:gravity="center" android:paddingTop="25sp" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView1"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="@string/langselection"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium" android:gravity="center" android:paddingTop="25sp"/>


 <Spinner
        android:id="@+id/spinner1"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:entries="@array/languages"
       android:gravity="center" android:paddingTop="25sp" />

</LinearLayout>

and create folders in your res like

then add strings.xml for your language like

<resources>

    <string name="app_name">Androidlocalization</string>
    <string name="hello_world">Hello world!</string>
    <string name="title_activity_android_localize">AndroidLocalize</string>
    <string name="greet">बधाई सचिन !!</string>
    <string name="langselection">जिस भाषा में आप सचिन को नमस्कार करना चाहते हैं का चयन करें!!!!</string>
    <string name="chooselang">Choose the language</string>
      <string-array name="languages">
        <item>Select language</item>
        <item>தமிழ்</item>
        <item>हिंदी</item>
        <item>English</item>
    </string-array>

</resources>

please update your manifest also , i hope that will resolve your problem..

update like this.

 <application
            android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
            android:label="@string/app_name"
            android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
            <activity
                android:name=".AndroidLocalize"
                android:label="@string/title_activity_android_localize" 
android:configChanges="locale|orientation|keyboardHidden" 
android:noHistory="true">
                <intent-filter>
                    <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                    <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
                </intent-filter>
            </activity>
        </application>

Solution 2

This is a method i wrote and is working perfectly well for me for changing the language from app (and JUST FOR A SINGLE APP - not the entire device):

private void setLanguageForApp(String languageToLoad){
    Locale locale;
    if(languageToLoad.equals("not-set")){ //use any value for default
        locale = Locale.getDefault();
    }
    else {
        locale = new Locale(languageToLoad);
    }
    Locale.setDefault(locale);
    Configuration config = new Configuration();
    config.locale = locale;
    getBaseContext().getResources().updateConfiguration(config,
            getBaseContext().getResources().getDisplayMetrics());
}

NOTE: Call this method before setContentView() in the first activity's onCreate() everytime when the app is opened.

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setLanguageForApp("en"); //hard-coded here - get from whereever you stored
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_category_list);
    ...
    ...
    ...

Store the selected locale code in shared preferences and retrieve to pass as parameter.

Method for language selection dialog: (Note: it reloads app after language change to bring the language change in effect)

private void showLanguageChangePopup() {
    CharSequence languages[] = new CharSequence[] {
            "English",
            "हिंदी (Hindi)",
            "Français (French)",
            "Italiano (Italian)",
            "Deutsch (German)",
            "Español (Spanish)",
            "日本語 (Japanese)",
            "한국어 (Korean)",
            "Nederlands (Dutch)",
            "Português (Portuguese)",
            "руÑÑкий (Russian)",
            "中文 (Chinese)",
            "العربية (Arabic)"
    };
    final String codes[] = new String[] {
            "en",
            "hi",
            "fr",
            "it",
            "de",
            "es",
            "ja",
            "ko",
            "nl",
            "pt",
            "ru",
            "zh",
            "ar"
    };

    int currentLangIndex = Prefs.getUserPreferenceIntValue(Prefs.Key.SELECTED_LANGUAGE_INDEX, getBaseContext());
    AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(this);
    builder.setTitle(R.string.text_select_language);
    builder.setSingleChoiceItems(languages, currentLangIndex, null);
    builder.setNegativeButton(R.string.text_translate_cancel, null);
    builder.setPositiveButton(R.string.action_change_language, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
        public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int id) {
            int selectedIndex = ((AlertDialog) dialog).getListView().getCheckedItemPosition();
            Prefs.setUserPreferenceStringValue(Prefs.Key.LANGUAGE, codes[selectedIndex], getBaseContext());
            Prefs.setUserPreferenceIntValue(Prefs.Key.SELECTED_LANGUAGE_INDEX, selectedIndex, getBaseContext());
            Intent i = new Intent(CategoryListActivity.this, CategoryListActivity.class);
            startActivity(i);
            finish();

        }
    });

    builder.show();
}

Solution 3

Always follow official tutorial

Add your string files here.

if you don't have one, Create values-fil folder in the MyProject/res folder.

Check this if you want to handle Phone system language changes.

Solution 4

When you are supporting multiple languages , You need to create separate values folder like values-fr for instance and put your stings.xml file inside this folder . Should work. Hope this helps!

Solution 5

<resources>

    <string name="app_name">Androidlocalization</string>
    <string name="hello_world">Hello world!</string>
    <string name="title_activity_android_localize">AndroidLocalize</string>
    <string name="greet">बधाई सचिन !!</string>
    <string name="langselection">जिस भाषा में आप सचिन को नमस्कार करना चाहते हैं का चयन करें!!!!</string>
    <string name="chooselang">Choose the language</string>
      <string-array name="languages">
        <item>Select language</item>
        <item>தமிழ்</item>
        <item>हिंदी</item>
        <item>English</item>
    </string-array>

</resources>

Each code is in same folder for different language add different value folder

For example value folder for hindi goes inside value-hi

View more solutions

Comments

[kcNeko]

but this actually do that I have to change my phone's language settings, not the app itself

[Zumry Mohamed]

i updated the question please check that link if you want to handle system language changes.

[Gaucho]

I think that if you are able to use Your smartphone then the language of Your smartphone can be the language of the app without bothering the user to choose a language

[kcNeko]

it's not working. I already made values-fil and add some data on strings.xml . It just keeps on refreshing whenever I hit the language. Will this affect the whole app itself?

[Mr Robot]

can you please add your string files

[Mr Robot]

updated manifest in my answer please check and add relevant items to your manifest. maybe this will solve your problems

[kcNeko]

sorry. My bad. Instead of naming the folder values-fil, I changed it to values-tl and it worked! Thanks a lot! However when I close the app, and opened it it doesn't apply the language that I set the last time I changed it.