A JavaScript library for internationalization and localization that leverage the official Unicode CLDR JSON data. The library works both for the browser and as a Node.js module.
- Heads up!
- About Globalize
- Getting started
- API
- Core
- Date module
- Message module
- Number module
- more to come...
- Error reference
- Development
We're working on the migration to using the Unicode CLDR. This is an alpha version of Globalize. In other words, this is not a software for production environment (yet).
Patches to the previous 0.x codebase probably can't be used. If you have a problem, please create an issue first before trying to patch it.
Are you looking for 0.x docs? Find them here.
Each language, and the countries that speak that language, have different expectations when it comes to how numbers (including currency and percentages) and dates should appear. Obviously, each language has different names for the days of the week and the months of the year. But they also have different expectations for the structure of dates, such as what order the day, month and year are in. In number formatting, not only does the character used to delineate number groupings and the decimal portion differ, but the placement of those characters differ as well.
A user using an application should be able to read and write dates and numbers in the format they are accustomed to. This library makes this possible, providing an API to convert user-entered number and date strings - in their own format - into actual numbers and dates, and conversely, to format numbers and dates into that string format.
It's designed to work both in the browser, or in Node.js. It supports both AMD and CommonJS.
Globalize uses the Unicode CLDR, the largest and most extensive standard repository of locale data.
We do NOT embed any i18n data within our library. However, we make it really easy to use. Read How to get and load CLDR JSON data for more information on its usage.
| File | Minified size | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| globalize.js | 2.0KB | Core library |
| globalize/date.js | +9.4KB | Date module provides date formatting and parsing |
| globalize/message.js | +0.7KB | Message module provides message translation |
| globalize/number.js | +4.8KB | Number module provides number formatting and parsing |
Globalize 1.x supports the following browsers:
- Chrome: (Current - 1) or Current
- Firefox: (Current - 1) or Current
- Safari: 5.1+
- Opera: 12.1x, (Current - 1) or Current
- IE 8 (needs ES5 polyfill), IE9+
(Current - 1) or Current denotes that we support the current stable version of the browser and the version that preceded it. For example, if the current version of a browser is 24.x, we support the 24.x and 23.x versions.
IE 8 is supported, but it depends on the polyfill of the ES5 methods below, for which we suggest using es5-shim. Alternatives or more information can be found at Modernizr's polyfills list.
- Array.isArray()
- Array.prototype.every()
- Array.prototype.forEach()
- Array.prototype.indexOf()
- Array.prototype.isArray()
- Array.prototype.map()
- Array.prototype.some()
- Object.keys()
You need to satisfy Globalize dependencies prior to using it. The good news is, there is only one. It's the cldr.js, which is a CLDR low level manipulation tool.
If you use a package manager like bower or npm, you don't need to worry about it. If this isn't the case, then you need to manually download cldr.js yourself. Check the Hello World examples for more information.
Globalize is the i18n software (the engine). Unicode CLDR is the i18n content (the fuel). You need to feed Globalize on the appropriate portions of CLDR prior to using it.
(a) How do I figure out which CLDR portions are appropriate for my needs?
Each Globalize function requires a special set of CLDR portions. Once you know which Globalize functionalities you need, you can deduce its respective CLDR requirements. See table below.
| Module | Required CLDR JSON files |
|---|---|
| Core module | cldr/supplemental/likelySubtags.json |
| Number module | cldr/main/locale/numbers.json |
| Date module | cldr/main/locale/ca-gregorian.jsoncldr/supplemental/timeData.json cldr/supplemental/weekData.json |
(b) How am I supposed to get and load CLDR content?
Learn how to get and load CLDR content....
By downloading a ZIP or a TAR.GZ...
Click the github releases tab and download the latest available Globalize package.
By using a package manager...
Use bower bower install globalize, or npm npm install globalize.
By using source files...
git clone https://github.com/jquery/globalize.git.- Build the distribution files.
Globalize's consumable-files are located in the ./dist directory. If you
don't find it, it's because you are using a development branch. You should
either use a tagged version or build the distribution files yourself.
Read installation above if you need more information on how to
download.
Globalize can be used for a variety of different i18n tasks, eg. formatting or
parsing dates, formatting or parsing numbers, formatting messages, etc. You may
NOT need Globalize in its entirety. For that reason, we made it modular. So, you
can cherry-pick the pieces you need, eg. load dist/globalize.js to get
Globalize core, load dist/globalize/date.js to extend Globalize with Date
functionalities, etc.
An example is worth a thousand words. Check out our Hello World demo (available to you in different flavors):
Globalize.load( cldrJSONData )
This method allows you to load CLDR JSON locale data. Globalize.load() is a
proxy to Cldr.load().
Globalize.locale( [locale|cldr] )
Set default locale, or get it if locale argument is omitted.
[new] Globalize( locale|cldr )
Create a Globalize instance.
-
.formatDate( value, format )Format a date
valueaccording to the givenformat.
-
.parseDate( value [, formats] )Parse a string representing a date into a JavaScript Date object, taking into account the given possible formats (or the given locale's set of preset formats if not provided).
Globalize.loadTranslations( json )
Load translation data.
.translate( path )
Translate item given its path.
-
.formatNumber( value [, attributes] )Format a number according to the given attributes.
-
.parseNumber( value )Parse a string representing a number taking into account the localized symbols. If value is invalid,
NaNis returned.
Thrown when any static method, eg. Globalize.formatNumber() is used prior to
setting the Global locale with Globalize.locale( <locale> ).
Error object:
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| code | E_DEFAULT_LOCALE_NOT_DEFINED |
Thrown when a required parameter is missing on any static or instance methods.
Error object:
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| code | E_MISSING_PARAMETER |
| name | Name of the missing parameter |
Thrown when a parameter is not within a valid range of values.
Error object:
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| code | E_OUT_OF_RANGE |
| name | Name of the invalid parameter |
| value | Invalid value |
| minimum | Minimum value of the valid range |
| maximum | Maximum value of the valid range |
Thrown when a parameter has an invalid type on any static or instance methods.
Error object:
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| code | E_INVALID_PAR_TYPE |
| name | Name of the invalid parameter |
| value | Invalid value |
| expected | Expected type |
Thrown for certain parameters when the type is correct, but the value is invalid. Currently, the only parameter with such validation is the date format (for either format and parse). Format allows certain variants, if it's none of them, error is thrown.
Error object:
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| code | E_INVALID_PAR_VALUE |
| name | Name of the invalid parameter |
| value | Invalid value |
Thrown when any required CLDR item is NOT found.
Error object:
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| code | E_MISSING_CLDR |
| path | Missing CLDR item path |
├── bower.json (metadata file)
├── CONTRIBUTING.md (doc file)
├── dist/ (consumable files, the built files)
├── external/ (external dependencies, eg. cldr.js, QUnit, RequireJS)
├── Gruntfile.js (Grunt tasks)
├── LICENSE.txt (license file)
├── package.json (metadata file)
├── README.md (doc file)
├── src/ (source code)
│ ├── build/ (build helpers, eg. intro, and outro)
│ ├── common/ (common function helpers across modules)
│ ├── core.js (core module)
│ ├── date/ (date source code)
│ ├── date.js (date module)
│ ├── message.js (message module)
│ └── util/ (basic JavaScript helpers polyfills, eg array.map)
└── test/ (unit and functional test files)
├── fixtures/ (CLDR fixture data)
├── functional/ (functional tests)
├── functional.html
├── functional.js
├── unit/ (unit tests)
├── unit.html
└── unit.js
The source files are as granular as possible. When combined to generate the build file, all the excessive/overhead wrappers are cut off. It's following the same build model of jQuery and Modernizr.
Core, and all modules' public APIs are located in the src/ directory. For
example: core.js, date.js, and message.js.
Install Grunt and external dependencies. First, install the
grunt-cli and
bower packages if you haven't before. These should be installed
globally (like this: npm install -g grunt-cli bower). Then:
npm install && bower installBuild distribution files.
gruntTests can be run either in the browser or using Node.js (via Grunt).
Unit tests
To run the unit tests, run grunt test:unit, or open
file:///.../globalize/test/unit.html in a browser. It tests the very specific functionality
of each function (sometimes internal/private).
The goal of the unit tests is to make it easy to spot bugs, easy to debug.
Functional tests
To run the functional tests, create the dist files by running grunt. Then, run
grunt test:functional, or open
file:///.../globalize/test/functional.html in a browser. Note that grunt will
automatically run unit and functional tests for you to ensure the built files
are safe.
The goal of the functional tests is to ensure that everything works as expected when it is combined.