Translate applications

Flow Connect supports translating your application packages, applications, and components into multiple languages. Metadata for packages and applications—such as name and description—is translated in the Hub, while user-facing content in applications and components is managed in Designer.

Application metadata

In the Hub, open the application settings screen from the context menu.

The application’s name and description will be used as the default if no translation is available for the client’s language.

To translate the application’s name and description into other languages, use the translations icon and add translations for the organization’s languages.

Application content

Introduction

With Flow Connect, you can now create translations that go beyond simple text replacements. By using ICU Message Format, your messages can adapt automatically to numbers, gender, and other conditions—making them sound natural in every language.

At the same time, translations are now centralized in one table for the entire application, so you can manage all your translations from a single place instead of hunting through different components.

What is ICU Message Format?

ICU Message Format is an international standard for writing messages that adjust to different languages, grammar rules, and contexts. It lets you handle plural forms, gender differences, and other language-specific variations in a single translation.

Easier pluralization:

Write one message that changes based on a number.

{count, plural,
  =0 {You have no messages.}
  one {You have one message.}
  other {You have # messages.}
}

Phrasebook

All translations in Flow Connect are managed in a central translations table, the Phrasebook:

• Each translation entry is identified by a name (key), which is used as a reference in applications, components, and scripts.

• If no translation is found for the user’s selected language, the default translation will be shown.

• Translations can include variables (template strings), allowing you to dynamically insert values at runtime.

• Flow Connect supports translations using the ICU Message Format, making it possible to create smarter, more flexible messages.

• Translations can be used almost anywhere in Flow Connect, including application steps, components, and client-side scripts.

• The Phrasebook is part of your application or component and is included with each committed version.

Manage translations in Designer

The Phrasebook is available from the workflow menu in Designer.

You can add or remove phrases, and manage translations here. The default translation is used as a fallback when the client’s language is not available.

All translations are referenced by their name. For example, a phrase called companyName can be used as Phrase.companyName .

Template strings with a single parameter

The phrase tasks has one parameter and can be used in Designer as Phrase.tasks(taskCount).

Template strings with multiple parameters

The phrase welcome has two parameters set and is used in Designer by constructing a record with the required parameters, for example: Phrase.welcome({firstName: userFirstName, lastName: userLastName}).

Add translations from a user step control

A convenient way to add new items to the Phrasebook is by using the translations icon available on all step controls. Click the icon and select "Add text to Phrasebook".

A phrase name based on the text will be suggested, and the text will be added to the default translation.

The new phrase will automatically replace the original text with the newly created phrase.