xcTranslate

xcTranslate is a command-line tool written in Go for translating Apple's .xcstrings localization files using Google Translate.

It reads a source .xcstrings file (in JSON format), detects all untranslated base strings, translates them into multiple target languages, and generates a new .xcstrings file with completed localizations.

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Features

• Reads and writes valid .xcstrings (Apple localization JSON format)
• Automatic source language detection
• Supports translation into multiple languages
• Preserves placeholders such as %1$@, %lld, {name}, etc.
• Simple CLI usage
• Thread-safe translation engine using mutex protection

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Installation

go install github.com/yourusername/xctranslate@latest

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Usage

xctranslate -input=Localizable.xcstrings -output=Translated.xcstrings -langs=it,fr,de

CLI Flags

Flag	Description
-input	Path to the input .xcstrings file
-output	Path to save the translated .xcstrings
-langs	Comma-separated list of target languages (e.g. it,fr,de)

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Output format

The translated file will preserve the original structure and include localizations in the form:

"Hello, world!" : {
  "localizations" : {
    "it" : {
      "stringUnit" : {
        "state" : "translated",
        "value" : "Ciao, mondo!"
      }
    },
    "fr" : {
      "stringUnit" : {
        "state" : "translated",
        "value" : "Bonjour le monde!"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Limitations

• Uses the unofficial gtranslate package, which scrapes the Google Translate web interface
• Not recommended for high-volume or production use
• Translations are processed sequentially (no concurrent translation engine)

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License

MIT License — see LICENSE

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Credits

• bregydoc/gtranslate
• Inspired by real-world localization challenges in Apple app development