Approach to Implement Internationalization in Next.js Application
- NextJS project Structure: We’ll create a next JS named App to manage internationalization using the react-intl library. This component will serve as the entry point for our Next.js application.
- Importing Message Files: We’ll import message files for different languages (e.g., en.json, fr.json, sp.json, hindi.json, and rus.json) from a local directory within the Next.js project.
- Defining Messages Object: The messages object will be defined with keys representing language codes and values containing the corresponding message objects extracted from the JSON files.
- Initializing Locale State: The App component will have a state named locale, initialized with the default language ‘en’. This state will determine the currently selected language.
- Handling Language Change: We’ll implement a method named handleLanguageChange to update the locale state based on the language selected from a dropdown menu. This dropdown menu will allow users to switch between different languages.
- Rendering JSX with IntlProvider: The render method of the App component will return JSX wrapped in an IntlProvider component. This component will receive locale and messages as props, providing internationalization context to its child components.
- Displaying Translated Messages: Inside the IntlProvider, we’ll include a div containing an h1 tag with a title message, a select dropdown for language selection, and a p tag with a description message. These messages will be displayed using the FormattedMessage component, which retrieves them by their unique IDs defined in the message files for each language.
Adding Internationalization (i18n) in Next.js Application
Implementing internationalization (i18n) in a NextJS application enhances its accessibility and usability by catering to users who speak different languages. With i18n, your app becomes multilingual, ensuring that users from diverse linguistic backgrounds can navigate and understand its content effortlessly.