Folder Structure and Initial Setup

Oct 13, 2025 by talynt.org 0 views

Understanding the Issue

When working with internationalization (i18n) and localization (L10n) in React applications, it's common to encounter issues with importing files. In this article, we'll explore a specific problem with importing files using the i18next-resources-to-backend plugin and provide a step-by-step solution to resolve the issue.

Folder Structure and Initial Setup

Before diving into the problem, let's review the folder structure and initial setup:

/project
├── src
│   ├── browser
│   │   └── components/
│   └── locales
│       ├── de-de/
│       ├── pl-pl/
│       └── en-us/

Initially, we had to import files and mention them in resources like so:

import admin from '../locales/en-us/admin';
import adminDE from '../locales/de-de/admin';
import adminPL from '../locales/pl-pl/admin';

resources: {
  de: { admin: adminDE },
  en: { admin }
  pl: { admin: adminPL }
}

However, we're now using the i18next-resources-to-backend plugin to import files dynamically:

import importFiles from 'i18next-resources-to-backend';

i18n
  .use(initReactI18next)
  .use(LanguageDetector)
  .use(importFiles((lang, ns) => import(`../locales/${lng.toLowerCase()}${ns}.json`));

The Problem

When we console log the importFiles function, we see the following output:

{ lng: 'de-DE', ns: 'translation', path: '../locales/de-de/translation.json' }
{ lng: 'de-DE', ns: 'auth', path: '../locales/de-de/auth.json' }
{ lng: 'de', ns: 'translation', path: '../locales/de/translation.json' } <--- how to overwrite the default ns and 'de' which I don't want?
{ lng: 'en', ns: 'translation', path: '../locales/en/translation.json' } <--- how to overwrite the default ns and 'en' which I don't want?
{ lng: 'en', ns: 'auth', path: '../locales/en/auth.json' }

However, when switching to German, we're getting complaints about missing files:

Uncaught (in promise) Error: Cannot find module './en/dashboard' at .*\.json$ namespace object

Similarly, when switching to English, we're getting complaints about missing files:

Uncaught (in promise) Error: Cannot find module './de-de/translation.json', './de/translation.json'

Solution

To resolve this issue, we need to modify the importFiles function to handle the default namespace and language correctly. We can achieve this by using the i18next instance to get the current language and namespace, and then use that information to construct the file path.

Here's the modified importFiles function:

import importFiles from 'i18next-resources-to-backend';

i18n
  .use(initReactI18next)
  .use(LanguageDetector)
  .use(importFiles((lang, ns) => {
    const currentLang = i18n.language;
    const currentNs = i18n.namespace;

    if (currentLang === lang && currentNs === ns) {
      return import(`../locales/${currentLang}/${currentNs}.json`);
    } else {
      return import(`../locales/${lang}/${ns}.json`);
    }
  }));

In this modified function, we first get the current language and namespace using the i18n instance. We then check if the current language and namespace match the ones passed to the function. If they do, we import the file using the current language and namespace. Otherwise, we import the file using the language and namespace passed to the function.

Conclusion

In this article, we've explored a specific problem with importing files using the i18next-resources-to-backend plugin. We've modified the importFiles function to handle the default namespace and language correctly, and provided a step-by-step solution to resolve the issue. By following this solution, you should be able to resolve the issue and successfully import files using the i18next-resources-to-backend plugin.

Additional Tips

Make sure to update the i18next instance with the new importFiles function.
Test the application thoroughly to ensure that the issue is resolved.
Consider using a more robust solution, such as a custom plugin or a third-party library, to handle file imports.

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Missing files when switching languages.
Solution: Modify the importFiles function to handle the default namespace and language correctly, as shown above.
Issue: Files not being imported correctly.
Solution: Check the file paths and ensure that they are correct. Also, verify that the i18next instance is properly configured.
Issue: Errors when importing files.
Solution: Check the console logs for any errors and resolve them accordingly. Also, ensure that the importFiles function is properly implemented.
i18next Resources: Frequently Asked Questions =====================================================

Q: What is i18next resources?

A: i18next resources is a plugin for the i18next internationalization library that allows you to load resources (e.g. translations, data) dynamically.

Q: How do I use i18next resources?

A: To use i18next resources, you need to install the i18next-resources-to-backend plugin and configure it in your i18next instance.

Q: What is the difference between i18next resources and i18next backend?

A: i18next backend is responsible for storing and loading resources, while i18next resources is a plugin that allows you to load resources dynamically.

Q: How do I configure i18next resources?

A: To configure i18next resources, you need to pass a function to the use method of the i18next instance. This function will be called for each resource that needs to be loaded.

Q: What is the `lang` and `ns` parameters in the `importFiles` function?

A: The lang parameter is the current language, and the ns parameter is the current namespace.

Q: How do I handle default namespace and language in i18next resources?

A: You can handle default namespace and language by checking if the current language and namespace match the ones passed to the importFiles function. If they do, you can import the file using the current language and namespace. Otherwise, you can import the file using the language and namespace passed to the function.

Q: What is the difference between `i18n.language` and `i18n.lng`?

A: i18n.language is the current language, while i18n.lng is the language code (e.g. "en", "de", etc.).

Q: How do I get the current namespace in i18next resources?

A: You can get the current namespace using the i18n.namespace property.

Q: What is the `i18next-resources-to-backend` plugin?

A: The i18next-resources-to-backend plugin is a plugin for i18next that allows you to load resources dynamically.

Q: How do I use the `i18next-resources-to-backend` plugin?

A: To use the i18next-resources-to-backend plugin, you need to install it and configure it in your i18next instance.

Q: What are the benefits of using i18next resources?

A: The benefits of using i18next resources include:

Dynamic loading of resources
Improved performance
Simplified resource management

Q: What are the common issues with i18next resources?

A: Some common issues with i18next resources include:

Missing files when switching languages
Files not being imported correctly
Errors when importing files

Q: How do I troubleshoot issues with i18next resources?

A: To troubleshoot issues with i18next resources, you can:

Check the console logs for any errors
Verify that the i18next instance is properly configured
Check the file paths and ensure that they are correct
Use the i18next-resources-to-backend plugin's debug mode to get more detailed information about the resource loading process.