i18n

name	i18n
description	Internationalization patterns using react-intl. Use when working with translations, adding new messages to locale files, using useIntl or FormattedMessage, or when user asks about translation patterns in this codebase.
user-invocable	false

Internationalization (i18n) Guide

The application uses react-intl for internationalization with a custom message system.

Message Files

• Message definitions: /src/i18n/src/locale/en.ts - Contains all translation strings
• Message paths: /src/i18n/src/messages.ts - Exports message object with type-safe paths

Usage Patterns

There are two ways to use translations in components:

Pattern 1: useIntl Hook (Preferred for Dynamic Content)

import { useIntl } from 'react-intl'
import { message } from '@/i18n/src/messages'

const MyComponent = () => {
  const { formatMessage: fm } = useIntl()

  // Correct - use message object for type-safe paths
  return <h1>{fm({ id: message.common.ui.appName })}</h1>

  // Incorrect - hardcoded strings are not type-safe
  return <h1>{fm({ id: 'common.ui.appName' })}</h1>
}

When to use:

• Dynamic content that changes based on user interaction
• Text that needs to be computed or concatenated
• Accessible labels for form elements
• Toast notifications and error messages

Pattern 2: FormattedMessage Component (Preferred for Static Content)

import { FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl'
import { message } from '@/i18n/src/messages'

const MyComponent = () => {
  // Correct - declarative and type-safe
  return (
    <h1>
      <FormattedMessage id={message.common.ui.appName} />
    </h1>
  )

  // With values interpolation
  return (
    <p>
      <FormattedMessage
        id={message.common.greeting}
        values={{ name: 'User' }}
      />
    </p>
  )
}

When to use:

• Static text in headings, labels, and descriptions
• Content that doesn't need to be stored in variables
• JSX content that benefits from declarative syntax

Adding New Translations

Step 1: Add to locale file

Add your translation string to /src/i18n/src/locale/en.ts:

// In /src/i18n/src/locale/en.ts
export const messages = {
    common: {
        globalSearch: {
            title: 'Global Search',
            placeholder: 'Type to search...',
            noResults: 'No results found',
        },
    },
    orders: {
        create: {
            title: 'Create New Order',
            description: 'Fill in the form below to create a new order',
            success: 'Order created successfully',
        },
    },
}

Step 2: Use via message object

The message object automatically mirrors the structure of the locale file:

// In your component
import { useIntl } from 'react-intl'
import { message } from '@/i18n/src/messages'

const { formatMessage: fm } = useIntl()

// Access nested message paths
const title = fm({ id: message.common.globalSearch.title })
const orderTitle = fm({ id: message.orders.create.title })

Interpolation and Values

Pass dynamic values to translations:

// In locale file
export const messages = {
  user: {
    greeting: 'Hello, {name}!',
    itemCount: 'You have {count, plural, one {# item} other {# items}}',
    lastLogin: 'Last login: {date, date, short}'
  }
}

// In component
import { FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl'
import { message } from '@/i18n/src/messages'

<FormattedMessage
  id={message.user.greeting}
  values={{ name: userName }}
/>

<FormattedMessage
  id={message.user.itemCount}
  values={{ count: items.length }}
/>

<FormattedMessage
  id={message.user.lastLogin}
  values={{ date: new Date(lastLoginDate) }}
/>

Best Practices

Do

• Always use the message object for type-safe paths
• Use useIntl for dynamic content
• Use FormattedMessage for static content
• Organize messages by feature/domain in the locale file
• Use descriptive keys that indicate the content purpose

Don't

• Hardcode message IDs as strings: fm({ id: 'common.ui.appName' })
• Create duplicate messages across different sections
• Use interpolation for complex HTML structures (use rich text formatting instead)

Common Patterns

Form Labels

const { formatMessage: fm } = useIntl()

<Input
  label={fm({ id: message.forms.user.emailLabel })}
  placeholder={fm({ id: message.forms.user.emailPlaceholder })}
  error={fm({ id: message.forms.user.emailError })}
/>

Button Text

<Button>
  <FormattedMessage id={message.common.actions.save} />
</Button>

Toast Notifications

const { formatMessage: fm } = useIntl()

toast.success(fm({ id: message.orders.create.success }))
toast.error(fm({ id: message.orders.create.error }))

Conditional Messages

const { formatMessage: fm } = useIntl()

const statusMessage = isActive
    ? fm({ id: message.system.status.active })
    : fm({ id: message.system.status.inactive })

File Organization

Organize messages by feature in the locale file:

export const messages = {
    // Common/shared messages
    common: {
        ui: {
            /* ... */
        },
        actions: {
            /* ... */
        },
        validation: {
            /* ... */
        },
    },

    // Feature-specific messages
    orders: {
        list: {
            /* ... */
        },
        create: {
            /* ... */
        },
        edit: {
            /* ... */
        },
    },

    systems: {
        list: {
            /* ... */
        },
        details: {
            /* ... */
        },
        filters: {
            /* ... */
        },
    },

    // Forms
    forms: {
        user: {
            /* ... */
        },
        order: {
            /* ... */
        },
    },
}

TypeScript Integration

The message object provides full TypeScript autocomplete and type checking:

// TypeScript knows all available message paths
fm({ id: message.common.ui.appName }) // Valid
fm({ id: message.invalid.path }) // TypeScript error

This ensures you can't reference non-existent message keys at compile time.