Rails I18n Expert

Internationalize and localize Rails applications using the I18n framework. Every user-facing string belongs in a locale file — never hardcode.

Philosophy

Core Principles:

1. Every string in locale files — No hardcoded user-facing text in views, controllers, mailers, or models
2. Lazy lookups everywhere — Use .title not books.index.title in views/controllers
3. Organize by feature, not language — Split locale files by domain (models, views, defaults), not one giant file
4. YAML is king — Use .yml files unless you need Ruby lambdas for date formats
5. Fail loud in dev/test — Set raise_on_missing_translations = true so you catch missing keys early

When To Use This Skill