Export Localizations vs Swift Packages

Question

In regular projects, there is an "Export Localizations" option in the Product menu, but for Swift Packages, this is not available.

Adding local Swift Packages as dependencies of a regular project and using Export Localizations on the regular project doesn't include the Localizable strings from the Packages' sources either.

The command-line version (xcodebuild -exportLocalizations) has the same restrictions.

Is there a way to export NSLocalizedString occurrences to an xliff for Swift Packages? Or are we supposed to do things manually for now?

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Posted by

lieven@showpad

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Please use Feedback Assistant to file a request for using localization export / import with Swift packages in Xcode. Thanks!

—
Frameworks Engineer
I have created a request for this. FB9632052 (Xcode import/export of Localizations for Swift Packages)

We will use the workaround mentioned below in the meantime.

—
sbaudeon

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Answer 1

Update: I've worked around it for now:

use genstrings to export NSLocalizedStrings occurrences in each local package to Localizable.strings files
add a dummy framework target to the project, but don't embed it in the application
add all Localizable.strings files to the project and add them to the dummy framework

From then on, "Export Localizations" also includes the packages' localizable strings in the exported xliff file.

Posted by

lieven@showpad

Hello, I'm trying to follow this workaround to have my strings in my packages exported in a xliff file but I'm not sure about the steps you mention. Do we have to perform all of them or do they all make the same? Can you please give more details about each step (like what genstrings command to use for a given package, how to add the dummy framework to the project, what all Localizable.strings files refer to, etc.). Maybe you can add some images to show the project configuration. Thanks!

—
alpennec

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Answer 2

Xcode 14 added support for this.

However, in case this helps anyone else, one detail I didn't realize at first is that you have to add the defaultLocalization: to your Package() initializer in your Package.swift file. Otherwise, it doesn't think your package is localizable, and skips it.

let package = Package(
    name: "MyLocalPakcages",
    defaultLocalization: "en",
    platforms: [
        .iOS(.v15),
        […]

And then, in Xcode 14, the export fails because by default it tries to build with an old macOS SDK, which doesn't know about all the new SwiftUI stuff. So I had to add this to my Package.swift file too:

    platforms: [
        .iOS(.v15), // or whatever you might have
        .macOS("99.0"),  // <-- This is the important part to get it to not build with the old macOS SDK
    ],

Posted by

kelan

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Export Localizations vs Swift Packages

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