Using plural strings without number

Question

I'm a bit confused by the .stringsdict documentation (scroll to "Localized Property List File").

Given a number of files, I want to show Save File or save Save Files accordingly. I thought the following would work, but doesn't.

In code:

NSString *string = [NSString localizedStringWithFormat:NSLocalizedString(@"%Save Files", @""), (long)files.count];

In Localizable.stringsdict:

<key>Save Files</key>
<dict>
    <key>NSStringLocalizedFormatKey</key>
    <string>Save %#@files@</string>
    <key>files</key>
    <dict>
        <key>NSStringFormatSpecTypeKey</key>
        <string>NSStringPluralRuleType</string>
        <key>NSStringFormatValueTypeKey</key>
        <string>ld</string>
        <key>one</key>
        <string>File</string>
        <key>other</key>
        <string>Files</string>
    </dict>
</dict>

Always shows Save Files, no matter the count.

What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

The problem is that your code lacks the number of files saved. In order for a plural line to be localized using a stringsdict file, the line MUST have a number variables. So where it says @"%Save Files", it should say @"Save %ld File(s)". That %ld is the number required by Xcode to understand which plural rule to use at run time.

Then, in your Localizable.stringsdict file your plist must look like this:

<key>Save %ld File(s)</key>
<dict>
  <key>NSStringLocalizedFormatKey</key>
  <string>%#@files@</string>
  <key>files</key>
  <dict>
    <key>NSStringFormatSpecTypeKey</key>
    <string>NSStringPluralRuleType</string>
    <key>NSStringFormatValueTypeKey</key>
    <string>ld</string>
    <key>one</key>
    <string>Save %ld File</string>
    <key>other</key>
    <string>Save %ld Files</string>
  </dict>
</dict>

Problems like this can be really helped using a Localizable.stringsdict generator/tutorial like this one:

iOS Stringsdict Plurals Generator

It's also important that you leave as complete lines for the translator to rework the phrase. Instead of "Save %#@files@" give them the whole line to work with "%#@files". Why? Because the word "Save" in some languages may need to be conjugated depending on the number of files or might need to appear on the other side of the number (i.e. 3 files to save). Never assume English grammar will work and let the translators translate complete lines.

Answer 2

Works if you remove "%" from NSLocalizedString(@"%Save Files", @"")