# I18n and Javascript

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i18n-and-javascript/168767>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [May 25, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i18n-and-javascript/168767 "2009-05-25T15:54:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@hade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hade)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i18n-and-javascript/168767/1 "2009-05-25T15:54:01Z")

</div>

Hi,

I have quite many pure javascript files (\*.js) in my rails project.  
Unfortunately some of those files contain strings to be translated. I  
have just started using I18n in rails. I’d like to hear your feedback  
about how you are translating your javascript files.

After some research, here are some approaches I found:

1. Handle all your js files as filename.js.erb and use I18n tools like  
in normal templates

2. Use different plugins, like Babilu for instance (http://  
tore.darell.no/posts/  
introducing\_babilu\_rails\_i18n\_for\_your\_javascript).

Thanks for your help!

Cheers,

hade

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@hade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hade)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i18n-and-javascript/168767/2 "2009-05-25T19:39:16Z")

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I’ve always had this doubt too. Has anyone a suggestion? How are you  
handling it?

Regards

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@hade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hade)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i18n-and-javascript/168767/3 "2009-05-25T20:53:19Z")

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I had no experience about Babilu so I decided to go with the first  
approach using filename.js.erb.

i) I created a new controller called js and moved all my translation-  
needed \*.js files under views/js and renamed them from \*.js =\>  
\*.js.erb

ii) Previously the \*.js files were loaded from public/javascript, so I  
needed to change this a bit. Now the moved \*.js files are loaded from /  
js/myclass.js

iii) And in my controller I’m also serving \*.js files:

def index  
respond\_to do |format|  
format.html  
format.js  
end  
end

So basically I can now make translations like this:

// myclass.js

var MyClass = Class.create({

```
initialize: function() {
    this.stringToBeTranslated = <%= I18n.t 'header.translate_me'

```

%\>

```
}

```

});

But I have no idea if this is the right way. Comments?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@hade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hade)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 7:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i18n-and-javascript/168767/4 "2009-05-26T07:36:30Z")

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On 26 touko, 03:43, Marnen Laibow-Koser \<rails-mailing-l…@andreas-  
[s.net](http://s.net)\> wrote:

> Hmm. I’d say the best approach would be to keep display text out of  
> your JS files – put it in partials.

Thanks Marnen for your reply. I don’t quite follow, how do you  
actually achieve this? I mean, there are plenty of UI libraries which  
rely purely on js and those libraries are used via Javascript.  
ActiveWidgets’ grid compent ([ActiveWidgets | AW.UI.Grid](http://www.activewidgets.com/aw.ui.grid/))  
is a good example. You set up your grid’s column names using library  
API.

So basically you end up writing UI specific Javascript code. How these  
translations could be separated as partials? Thanks for sharing your  
thoughts.

Cheers!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@hade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hade)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 2:43am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i18n-and-javascript/168767/5 "2009-05-26T02:43:59Z")

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hade wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I have quite many pure javascript files (\*.js) in my rails project.  
> Unfortunately some of those files contain strings to be translated. I  
> have just started using I18n in rails. I’d like to hear your feedback  
> about how you are translating your javascript files.  
> […]

Hmm. I’d say the best approach would be to keep display text out of  
your JS files – put it in partials.

## Best,

Marnen Laibow-Koser  
[http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org)  
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid