XCode Storyboard Localization Duplicate Strings Merge?

Question

I am currently working on an iOS app and localizing it into multiple languages but have faced an annoying (not breaking) issue.

When i would add a new localization for my storyboard xcode will automatically populate the strings, which is very nice. The issue i am having is that i have multiple interfaces which both have a back button. The text on these is of course the same and their translations are as well. The question i was wondering about, is it possible, without using strings.localizable, to somehow merge multiple object translations into one?

This is how it would currently look:

"Pnu-Ec-HAj.normalTitle" = "Back";
"Rtx-fT-rdc.normalTitle" = "Back";

But it would be way easier if there was a syntax such as

"Pnu-Ec-HAj.normalTitle", "Rtx-fT-rdc.normalTitle" = "Back"; (this syntax is not correct obviously)

I have looked around quite a while but have not found any answers to this question yet.

Thanks for reading.

Answer 1

I'd recommend referencing every text in your storyboard in code, and setting the text on viewDidLoad like, e.g.:

buyButton.titleLabel.text = NSLocalizedString(@"SHOP_BUY_BUTTON_TEXT",@"Button for buying product in detail view");

It's loads of work if you have huge storyboards, but in the end you have a clean Localizable.strings with concise keys and comments, providing necessary context for your translators.

I prefix the key with the section of the app, so for example SHOP_***, USER_SETTINGS_***, etc.

In addition, we use a service like OneSky to organize our translations online and update them from the cloud (not affiliated with them, and it's not without its teething problems either).