Module:Lang

Overview

This module serves as the primary interface for retrieving and formatting localized game text from the Data:Lang_*.json files. It handles variable substitution by fetching data from Module:ItemData, automatically applies rich text formatting for game-specific keywords (adding icons, colors, and links), and provides robust fallback mechanisms for missing translations.

Functions

get_string

Localizes a given string key to the current language, i.e. Data:Lang_en.json for English. This function also automatically processes game-specific formatting tags (see "Automatic Text Formatting" section below).

Note: If you need to get a string that uses a value referenced from another Data page, pass the item_name parameter to get_string.

Parameters

• key - Key string to localize.
• lang_code_override (OPTIONAL) - Overrides the current language to a specific language code.
• fallback_str (OPTIONAL) - Specifies behavior when a key is not found in the target language.
  • Passing en causes it to return the English localization.
  • Passing any other string causes it to return that string.
  • Both of the above options have Template:MissingValveTranslationTooltip appended.
  • Passing dictionary causes it to return a translation via Module:Dictionary without the tooltip.
  • Use this often, as some keys are not yet localized in every language by the game. If parsing the fallback_str from Lua is computationally expensive, consider using the fallback outside this function so it only computes when needed.
• remove_var_index (OPTIONAL) - Removes %variables% from the resulting string. -1 also removes the character prefixing %variables%, while 1 removes the postfixed character, and 0 removes only the %variables%.
• item_name (OPTIONAL) - Required for strings containing {s:variable} placeholders. It will fetch the corresponding property from Module:ItemData to fill in the variable.

NOTE: When calling from wikitext via #invoke, parameters can be named. When calling from another Lua module, parameters must be passed in order (e.g., p.get_string(key, nil, 'en')).

Internal Logic & Fallbacks

The function includes several automatic behaviors to handle inconsistencies in the source data:

• Key Overrides: It checks a hardcoded list of overrides for known edge cases. For example, if the key MoveSlowPercent_label is requested, the module will internally use the value for MovementSlow_label to handle this known inconsistency.
• Post-value Label Fallback: If a key ending in _label is not found, it will automatically try again with a key ending in _postvalue_label.
• String Parsing: If a retrieved string contains | or #, the function will automatically use only the text that comes after the final instance of that character.

Examples

Invokes from wikitext:

{{#invoke:Lang|get_string|CitadelHeroStats_Weapon_Falloff}}

{{#invoke:Lang|get_string|CitadelHeroStats_Weapon_Falloff|lang_code_override=es}}

Strings with Variables

For strings containing {s:variable}, provide the item_name:

Example: {{#invoke:Lang|get_string|upgrade_target_stun_desc|item_name=Knockdown}} →

Without item_name, variables won't be filled: {{#invoke:Lang|get_string|upgrade_target_stun_desc}} →

Examples for fallback_str

{{#invoke:Lang|get_string|StatDesc_CritDamageBonusScale|lang_code_override=es}}

{{#invoke:Lang|get_string|StatDesc_CritDamageBonusScale|lang_code_override=es|fallback_str=en}}

{{#invoke:Lang|get_string|StatDesc_CritDamageBonusScale|lang_code_override=es|fallback_str=Crit Damage Bonus Scale}}

{{#invoke:Lang|get_string|Tech Items|fallback_str=dictionary}}

Examples for remove_var_index

{{#invoke:Lang|get_string|Citadel_HeroBuilds_DefaultHeroBuild}}

TODO: Debug why is =0 still removing that extra space? Doesn't matter yet I suppose, no use cases for 0 yet {{#invoke:Lang|get_string|Citadel_HeroBuilds_DefaultHeroBuild|remove_var_index=0}}

{{#invoke:Lang|get_string|Citadel_HeroBuilds_DefaultHeroBuild|remove_var_index=-1}}

Automatic Text Formatting

When a string is retrieved by get_string, it undergoes several automatic transformations to convert in-game formatting tags into rich wikitext.

• Newlines: "n is converted to a line break (
).
• HTML Spans: Tags like ... are converted into styled text (e.g., bolded and colored purple).
• Game Attribute Icons: Special tags like <Panel class="AbilityPropertyIcon prop_cooldown"> or {g:citadel_inline_attribute:'SpiritDamage'} are replaced with formatted wikitext that includes an icon, a colored label, and a wiki link. If a keyword is not recognized, it will be highlighted in red.
• Keybinds: Tags like {g:citadel_binding:'Ability1'} are replaced with their respective text string (e.g., Ability 1). A replacement can be added to the list in case of tags that don't match their string name (e.g. AltCast > alt_cast). The module also cleans up spacing around these replacements for better readability. (Note: If we want to add additional text to the string like "[Ability] button" this needs to be supported by localizations)

search_string

Searches for the unlocalized key corresponding to a given English string, then localizes it to the current language. NOTE: Use sparingly. This function is much slower than get_string and should be avoided when the key is known. For use in other Lua modules, see _search_string.

Parameters

• string - English string to search for.
• lang_code_override (OPTIONAL) - Overrides the current language to a specific language code.

Examples

From wikitext:

{{#invoke:Lang|search_string|Abrams}}

_search_string

This is the internal version of search_string, intended for use by other Lua modules. It provides the core search logic without the wikitext frame overhead or final text processing.

NOTE: This function returns the raw localized string. Unlike the invoked search_string, it does not process newlines ("n). The calling module is responsible for any further processing.

Parameters

• label (string) - The English string to search for.
• lang_code_override (string, optional) - The language code to translate to.

Example (from another Lua module)

local lang_module = require("Module:Lang")
-- Searches for the Spanish localization of the string "Abrams"
local localized_name = lang_module._search_string("Abrams", "es")

get_lang_code

Outputs the language subpage of the current page (e.g., "en", "es"). Defaults to "en" if the page is not a language subpage.

{{#invoke:Lang|get_lang_code}}

---

local p = {}

function get_lang_file(lang_code)
	local file_name = string.format("Data:Lang_%s.json", lang_code)
    local success, data = pcall(mw.loadJsonData, file_name)
    if success then
        return data
    else
        return nil
    end
end

-- Get a localized string by the raw key
p.get_string = function(frame)
	local key = frame.args[1]
	local lang_code_override = frame.args[2]

	local lang_code = lang_code_override
	if (lang_code_override == '') then
    	lang_code = get_lang_code()
	end

	local data = get_lang_file(lang_code)
	if (data == nil) then
		return string.format("Lang code '%s' does not have a json file", lang_code)	
	end
	
	local label = data[key]
	if (label == nil) then 
		return string.format("Key '%s' not found", key) 
	end
	
	return label
end

-- Search for a localized string using its English label
p.search_string = function(frame)
	local label = frame.args[1]
	local lang_code_override = frame.args[2]

	local lang_code = lang_code_override
	if (lang_code_override == '') then
    	lang_code = get_lang_code()
	end
	
	-- Load the language files
	local data_en = get_lang_file('en')  -- English data
	local data_lang = get_lang_file(lang_code)  -- Target language data

	-- Search for the key in the English data
	local key = nil
	for k, v in pairs(data_en) do
		if v == label then
			key = k  -- Find the key corresponding to the label
			break
		end
	end

	-- If the key is found, return the localized string, otherwise return a fallback
	if key and data_lang[key] then
		return data_lang[key]
	else
		return "English label not found or not localized"
	end
end

function get_lang_code()
    local title = mw.title.getCurrentTitle()
    local lang_code = title.fullText:match(".*/(.*)$")
	
	-- if the last part the url is not two letters, then its not a lang code,
	-- so default to english
	if (lang_code == nil or string.len(lang_code) ~= 2) then
		return 'en'	
	end
		
    return lang_code
end

return p