Rails Localization

Setup & Defaults

• Set default locale in config/application.rb: config.i18n.default_locale = :en
• Declare available locales: config.i18n.available_locales = %i[en es fr]
• Enable fallback behavior: config.i18n.fallbacks = true

Translation File Structure

• Use separate files per domain:
  • config/locales/models/user.en.yml
  • config/locales/views/posts.en.yml
  • config/locales/controllers/sessions.en.yml
• Nest keys by scope (activerecord, views, controllers, etc.)
• Never hardcode translations inline in views or controllers

Lazy Lookups