Android Multi-Language Supported App Example

personalInfo.setText(R.string.personal_info);

Creating New Project

1. Create a new project in Android Studio from File ⇒ New Project by filling the required details. When it prompts you to select the activity, choose Empty Activity and continue.

2. Under drawable folder create one file named btn_background.xml with following contents. These files are not related to language support, but just to give nice rounded corners to buttons.

btn_background.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

    <item>
        <shape android:shape="rectangle">
            <solid android:color="@android:color/holo_orange_light" />
            <stroke android:width="1dp" android:color="#ff3340" />
            <corners android:radius="5dp" />
        </shape>
    </item>
</selector>

3. Open strings.xml located under values folder and add following strings. These are default English language strings.

strings.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<string name="app_name">MultilingualApp</string>
<string name="personal_information">Personal Information</string>
<string name="name">Name</string>
<string name="gender">Gender</string>
<string name="date_of_birth">DateOfBirth</string>
<string name="country">Country</string>
<string name="city">City</string>
<string name="phone_number">Phone Number</string>
<string name="email">Email</string>
<string name="send">SEND</string>
</resources>

4. Now under res folder create four folders named values-nl, values-fr, values-hi, values-ja and a strings.xml file in each of the folders.

Your project should look like this once you created the required files/folders.

Now translate the strings into respected languages and place them in appropriate strings.xml files as shown below:

• French values-fr/strings.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <string name="personal_information">Informations personnelles</string>
    <string name="name">prénom</string>
    <string name="gender">le genre </string>
    <string name="date_of_birth">date de naissance</string>
    <string name="country">pays </string>
    <string name="city">ville</string>
    <string name="phone_number">numéro de telephone</string>
    <string name="email">email</string>
    <string name="send">envoyer</string>
</resources>

• Hindi values-hi/strings.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <string name="personal_information">व्यक्तिगत जानकारी </string>
    <string name="name">नाम </string>
    <string name="gender">लिंग </string>
    <string name="date_of_birth">जन्म की तारीख </string>
    <string name="country">देश </string>
    <string name="city">शहर </string>
    <string name="phone_number">फ़ोन नंबर </string>
    <string name="email">ईमेल </string>
    <string name="send">भेजें</string>
</resources>

• Japanese values-ja/strings.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <string name="personal_information">個人情報</string>
    <string name="name">名</string>
    <string name="gender">性別    </string>
    <string name="date_of_birth">生年月日</string>
    <string name="country">国      </string>
    <string name="city">シティ</string>
    <string name="phone_number">電話番号</string>
    <string name="email">Eメール</string>
    <string name="send">送信する</string>
</resources>

• Dutch values-nl/strings.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <string name="personal_information">Persoonlijke informative</string>
    <string name="name">naam</string>
    <string name="gender">geslacht      </string>
    <string name="date_of_birth">geboortedatum</string>
    <string name="country">land             </string>
    <string name="city">stad</string>
    <string name="phone_number">telefoonnummer</string>
    <string name="email">e-mail</string>
    <string name="send">sturen</string>
</resources>

5. Open your  activity_main.xml and add the following content to create a simple layout.

activity_main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:layout_margin="5dp"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    tools:context=".MainActivity">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tv_personal_info"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="18dp"
        android:text="@string/personal_information"
        android:textColor="@android:color/holo_orange_dark"
        android:textSize="20sp"
        android:textStyle="bold"
        />


    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/et_name"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
        android:background="@android:color/white"
        android:fontFamily="sans-serif"
        android:hint="@string/name"
        android:inputType="text"
        android:maxLines="1"
        android:padding="16dp"
        android:textColor="@android:color/black"
        android:textColorHint="@color/hint_color"
        android:textSize="14sp" />

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
        android:orientation="horizontal">

        <EditText
            android:id="@+id/et_gender"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:background="@android:color/white"
            android:fontFamily="sans-serif"
            android:hint="@string/gender"
            android:maxLines="1"
            android:padding="16dp"
            android:textColor="@android:color/black"
            android:textColorHint="@color/hint_color"
            android:textSize="14sp" />

        <EditText
            android:id="@+id/et_dob"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginLeft="5dp"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:background="@android:color/white"
            android:fontFamily="sans-serif"
            android:hint="@string/date_of_birth"
            android:maxLines="1"
            android:padding="16dp"
            android:textColor="@android:color/black"
            android:textColorHint="@color/hint_color"
            android:textSize="14sp" />
    </LinearLayout>

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
        android:orientation="horizontal">

        <EditText
            android:id="@+id/et_country"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:background="@android:color/white"
            android:fontFamily="sans-serif"
            android:hint="@string/country"
            android:maxLines="1"
            android:padding="16dp"
            android:textColor="@android:color/black"
            android:textColorHint="@color/hint_color"
            android:textSize="14sp" />

        <EditText
            android:id="@+id/et_city"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginLeft="5dp"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:background="@android:color/white"
            android:fontFamily="sans-serif"
            android:hint="@string/city"
            android:maxLines="1"
            android:padding="16dp"
            android:textColor="@android:color/black"
            android:textColorHint="@color/hint_color"
            android:textSize="14sp" />
    </LinearLayout>


    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/et_phone"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
        android:background="@android:color/white"
        android:fontFamily="sans-serif"
        android:hint="@string/phone_number"
        android:inputType="phone"
        android:maxLines="1"
        android:padding="16dp"
        android:textColor="@android:color/black"
        android:textColorHint="@color/hint_color"
        android:textSize="14sp"

        />

    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/et_email"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
        android:background="@android:color/white"
        android:fontFamily="sans-serif"
        android:hint="@string/email"
        android:inputType="textEmailAddress"
        android:maxLines="1"
        android:padding="16dp"
        android:textColor="@android:color/black"
        android:textColorHint="@color/hint_color"
        android:textSize="14sp"

        />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btn_send"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_gravity="center"
        android:layout_marginTop="18dp"
        android:background="@drawable/btn_background"
        android:text="@string/send"
        android:textColor="@android:color/white"
        android:textSize="14sp"
        android:textStyle="bold" />

</LinearLayout>

6. Open your MainActivity.java and make sure that it has following code. This code will be added automatically when you create new project.

MainActivity.java

package com.c1ctech.multilingualapp;

import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

    }
}

Now if you run the project you should see the app in English (assuming that your device is set to English language)