DotNet GoogleSheet Swift LocalizationsAppender

A DotNet console application that gets translations from GoogleSheet and adds it to a Swift Localizations file at the end (Append)

I have in the past talked about how to localize your SwiftUI app

Since I have a free app for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing called BeAware that is translated to 25 languages, there were still some manual steps involved, the code in this file automates those as well.

app, I created a #JavaScript AppScript API, that pulls =GOOGLETRANSLATE translations from Google Sheets. Then a #Csharp console app gets values & writes to #Swift App Code localizations files!

Steps to set this up:

1. Google Sheet with translations:

As you can see in the translations Google Spreadsheet, I have the following sheets

• RawData is where I add more translations, and automate those using the =GOOGLETRANSLATE() function
• Need Help Here is where I paste the new rows as values above the ------ APP STORE row
• CodeConverter is where I just copy and paste the row above it, and it generates the new translation needed in the format recognized by the Localizable.strings file

2. App Script API

• After you have your translations file ready, in the Spreadsheet toolbar, go to Extensions-> Apps Script
• Then paste in the code from the AppScriptCode.js file, replacing line 13 with your Spreadsheet Id, and Save
• You can test to see it in action by changing doPost in the drop down to test and saying Run, while changing the line and language based on the column and row number
• Then Deploy as a Web App and make sure it's viewable to Anyone, and get the URL that is shared in this format https://script.google.com/macros/s/YourUrl/exec
• You can test the API in Postman by putting in a raw body using a POST request with the URL from above and a raw JSON body as shown: {"Line": 12, "Language": 1}

3. DotNet Console app

• Open the console application in Visual Studio, or else if you don't want to install VS for Mac, you can install Dotnet 7 from here
• Restoring nuget packages happens automatically on Visual Studio. If running through the terminal, run dotnet restore
• Update lines 9, 18, 40 of the [Program.cs file](SwiftLocalicd zationsAppender/SwiftLocalizationsAppender/Program.cs) with your requirements
• Then every time you have to add translation, just update lines 19 & 20, & hit play if using Visual Studio or execute dotnet run on VS Code

Voilà! You should see the required translations show up correctly in the right Localizable.strings file

Steps to use this:

1. Add the English Copy of the translation

• Go to the translations Google Spreadsheet, to the RawData-DontEdit sheet and go to the row above the cell that says "ABOVE THIS."
• Add the English text you need to be translated into Column B of that row. If you don't have permissions to make changes to the file, ask Saamer mansoor for access
• Optionally add a descripition in Column A,
• The translation will be auto generated, if not copy and paste the formula from the cell above it

2. Generating the right format

• Go to the Need Help Here sheet and go to the row above the cell that says "ABOVE THIS.", then paste the entire row with only values, using Edit->Paste special->Values only. If you need some one to verify the translation is correct/verify translation, this is where they would make changes
• Once all the translations are validated, then go to the CodeConverter-DontEdit sheet. Make sure all the rows have new values now and are populate, if not copy and paste the formula from the cell above it. Note down the first and last row numbers of the new translations

3. Adding all the translation automatically

• Clone this GitHub repo if you haven't already.
• Make sure you have https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/ installed, and that you can access it from your terminal
• You can get the filePath & googleUrl from Saamer Mansoor
• Then line 24 & 25 should contain the first and last row numbers from the step above in 2.
• Save all and view your changes in your Git client before committing

Screenshots

Updates

• Added the ability to update the InfoPlist.strings files as well using the MakeInfoPlistChangeStep1 and MakeInfoPlistChangeStep2 functions. You have to update google sheet to show CFBundleName and CFBundleDisplayName on the left and just run one function after the other In the Google Sheet, the English value needs to be manually input into the Do Not Edit file