Game Localization Manager App 🇬🇧🇫🇷🇪🇸

A desktop application (built with Avalonia) designed to help manage localization keys, default strings, and per-language translations for game projects. It allows you to load a JSON file, view and edit existing localization data, create new localization entries, and save everything back to JSON.

This was built as my first Avalonia app, trying to learn the syntax and practice MVVM.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Technologies Used
• Prerequisites
• Usage
• Project Structure
• Future Improvements
• License

---

Features

1. Load and Parse JSON

   • Reads a JSON file containing localization entries.
   • Displays a list of keys, their default values, and the languages available.

2. View & Edit Localization Entries

   • Select an entry to see its details (key, default value, translations).
   • Modify any field and apply your changes in real time.

3. Add / Remove Languages

   • For each entry, you can add a new language translation or delete an existing one.

4. Create / Delete Entries

   • Add new localization keys along with default text.
   • Remove unneeded entries directly from the list.

5. Save Back to JSON

   • When changes are made, save them to the JSON file to keep everything up-to-date.

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Technologies Used

• C# and .NET
• Avalonia UI for cross-platform desktop UI
• System.Text.Json for JSON serialization/deserialization
• MVVM architectural pattern (ViewModel-View-Binding)

---

Prerequisites

• .NET 6 SDK or later installed.
• A JSON file with a structure similar to this (adjust fields as needed):

  {
  "LocalizedStrings": {
    "greeting_text": {
      "DefaultValue": "Hi There!",
      "Translations": {
        "en": "Hi There!",
        "fr": "Salut !",
        "es": "¡Hola!"
      }
    },
    "goodbye_text": {
      "DefaultValue": "See You Next Time!",
      "Translations": {
        "en": "See You Next Time!",
        "fr": "À la prochaine !",
        "es": "¡Hasta la próxima!",
        "de": "Bis zum nächsten Mal!"
      }
    }
  }

}

---

Usage

1. Load JSON File

   • In the top section, click the "..." button to select your localization JSON file path.
   • Click Load JSON to parse and display its contents.

2. View/Select Entries

   • The second section “File Content” lists each localization key, its default text, and a quick summary of available languages.
   • Selecting an entry shows its full details at the bottom panel.

3. Edit Details

   • In the “Entry Details” section, you can modify the key name, default value, or any individual translation.
   • When you’re done, click Update Data to apply changes in memory.

4. Save JSON

   • When you're done with all the changes to the file, click Save JSON at the top to apply the data to the original file.

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Usage

GameLocalizationManagerApp/
│
├─ Assets/
│   └─ Sample.json           # Sample JSON file
│
├─ Models/
│   └─ Data
│       └─ LocalizationData.cs   # Represents the full localization file
│       └─ LocalizedString.cs   # Represents a single localized string
│
├─ ViewModels/
│   └─ MainWindowViewModel.cs  # Main VM, hold the 3 main view models
│   └─ ValidatableViewModelBase.cs  # Base class for VMs that require validation
│   └─ JsonLoaderAreaViewModel.cs  # 1st section VM
│   └─ ViewDataAreaViewModel.cs  # 2nd section VM
│   └─ LocalizationGroup.cs  # Represents a single localization group (aka key + translations)
│   └─ EditGroupViewModel.cs  # 3rd section VM
│   └─ TranslationEntry.cs  # Represents a single translation entry (aka language code + value in that language)
│
├─ Views/
│   └─ MainWindow.axaml         # Main window view
│   └─ MainWindow.axaml.cs      # Partial code-behind for MainWindow, specifically opens the file dialog
│   └─ JsonLoaderControl.axaml  # Json load/save area view (1)
│   └─ ViewDataControl.axaml    # View localization data view (2)
│   └─ EditGroupControl.axaml   # Edit a single localization group view (3)
│
├─ Themes/
│   └─ Generic.axaml   # Holds common views
│
├─ Services/
│   └─ LocalizationManagerFileService.cs   # Used to Save/Load files.
│
└─ Program.cs                 # Application entry point

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Future Improvements

• Improve common Views/VMs to reduce code duplication (f.e. in validating key with dictionaries).
• Add "Unsaved Changes" dialog when moving between entries while changes have been made.
• Improve Save flow need to find a better place for it + allow saving to a new file.
• Make section 3 a foldout Instead of section 3, make it so clicking a group creates section 3 under the entry and above the next one.
• Standardize styling to reduce numeric styling throughout the code (f.e. have "Header" style instead of writing fontSize+bold).
• Better Undo/Redo support currently these only work for some actions so can't be trusted.

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License

This project is provided under the MIT License.