I18n Compose

What this skill does

Given a Compose Kotlin file (typically *Ui.kt or a composable in features/**/ui/... or ui/**/), this skill:

1. Locates the owning module by walking up to the nearest src/commonMain/composeResources/values/*_strings.xml (or src/commonMain/composeResources/values/ if the strings file does not yet exist — derive the filename from the module path).
2. Finds user-facing string literals in @Composable code: Text("..."), contentDescription = "...", placeholder = { Text("...") }, tooltip text = "...", error messages, dialog titles, etc. Includes string-template literals ("$count items") — convert templates to format args.
3. Proposes a key for each literal, following the existing naming conventions in the module's _strings.xml. Group by feature/screen with a stable prefix (e.g. action_*, cd_*, <screen>_<purpose>).
4. Presents a plan as a table: literal → proposed key → XML value (with placeholders) → call-site replacement. Wait for user approval unless invoked with --apply.
5. Applies the changes by editing the strings XML, the source file (replacing each literal), and adding/sorting the imports.
6. Runs ktlint on the touched files and reports any unresolved formatting issues.

When to invoke

• User says: "localize this file", "i18n this", "extract strings from <file>", "move these strings to resources", "/i18n-compose <path>".
• Reviewing a new *Ui.kt PR that contains hardcoded English literals.
• Migrating an older legacy screen to the resource pattern.

Do NOT invoke for:

• Non-UI Kotlin code (presenters, repositories, network code). Strings used outside @Composable need a different lookup (getString(Res.string.x) is suspend); flag those for the user instead of silently converting.
• Pure test files, debug-only screens behind a debug flag, or strings the user has explicitly tagged as developer-only / non-translatable.

Locate the strings.xml

For a file at features/podcasts/ui/src/commonMain/kotlin/app/campfire/podcasts/ui/find/FindEpisodesUi.kt:

1. Walk up to the module root (features/podcasts/ui/).
2. Strings file lives at features/podcasts/ui/src/commonMain/composeResources/values/<module>_strings.xml.
3. Filename convention is <dot-separated module path>_strings.xml with : and - swapped for _ (e.g. :features:podcasts:ui → podcasts_ui_strings.xml, :ui:appbar → appbar_strings.xml). When in doubt, peek at sibling modules — the filename pattern is consistent within features/, ui/, and infra/.
4. The generated import package is campfire.<dot-path>.generated.resources. Examples:
   • :features:podcasts:ui → campfire.features.podcasts.ui.generated.resources
   • :ui:appbar → campfire.ui.appbar.generated.resources
   • :app:common → campfire.app.common.generated.resources
5. If the strings file does not yet exist, create the directory src/commonMain/composeResources/values/ and seed the file with <resources>\n</resources>.

Identify literals

Scan the file's AST visually (or via grep + careful read) for:

• Text("literal") and Text(text = "literal", ...)
• contentDescription = "literal" and contentDescription = "literal $variable"
• Tooltip/dialog text: IconButtonTooltip(text = "..."), AlertDialog(title = { Text("...") }, text = { Text("...") })
• Placeholder/label slots in TextField, SearchBar: placeholder = { Text("...") }, label = { Text("...") }
• Snackbar messages, error strings used directly in UI
• Modifier.semantics { contentDescription = "..." }

Skip:

• Strings already wrapped in stringResource(...) or pluralStringResource(...).
• Test tags (Modifier.testTag("...")).
• Log tags, route IDs, JSON keys, analytics event names, navigation deep-link paths.
• Format-string placeholders that are themselves Compose resources.
• Empty strings ("") and single-character separators (" ", "·", "•").
• Strings already obviously developer-only (TODO markers, debug surfaces).

If unsure, flag the literal in the plan with ??? and ask the user.

String templates → format args

Convert "$count items" and "${user.name}'s library" to positional placeholders:

• "$count items" → XML: "%1$d items" (assume Int for count*/*count/size/*Size) or "%1$s items" if the type is ambiguous. Call site: stringResource(Res.string.<key>, count).
• "${user.name}'s library" → XML: "%1$s's library". Call site: stringResource(Res.string.<key>, user.name).
• Multi-arg: "$first of $total" → "%1$d of %2$d", call site stringResource(Res.string.<key>, first, total).

XML must escape % as %% and escape " and \\ and ' per Android string rules. Use \" for inner quotes and wrap values containing leading/trailing whitespace in "...".

Naming conventions

Follow the existing keys in the target _strings.xml. Common prefixes:

• action_<verb>_<object> — button/tooltip labels: action_mark_episode_finished
• cd_<noun> — content descriptions: cd_clear_search, cd_book_cover
• <screen>_<purpose> — screen-scoped copy: find_episodes_empty, latest_episodes_title
• error_<what> — error states: error_load_failed
• dialog_<name>_<part> — dialog title/body/confirm/dismiss
• Plurals: prefer ICU-style placeholders for now (Compose Resources pluralStringResource is supported — propose plural_<noun> only if the file already uses one).

Verbs are imperative ("Edit playlist", not "Editing playlist"). Sentence case for body copy, Title Case for short titles/buttons — match what's already in the file.

If the proposed key collides with an existing key in the XML:

• If the existing value is identical → reuse the key.
• If the existing value differs → append a disambiguating suffix (_short, _screen, <feature>) and call it out in the plan.