name: angular-i18n-maintenance description: Maintain runtime i18n in Angular apps using @ngx-translate/core by replacing new hardcoded UI text with translation keys, TranslatePipe, and synchronized entries in all locale JSON files. Use when adding labels, headings, buttons, messages, placeholders, or titles in projects that already use JSON locale files.

Angular i18n Maintenance

Keep new user-facing text translatable in Angular projects that already run runtime i18n with @ngx-translate/core.

Purpose and Trigger Conditions

Apply this skill when all are true:

• The project already uses runtime translation (@ngx-translate/core, TranslatePipe, locale JSON files).
• New user-facing copy is being introduced or changed.
• The copy appears in templates or translated attribute bindings.

Do not use this skill to bootstrap i18n from scratch.

Mandatory Preflight

1. Confirm runtime i18n is present:
   • Find @ngx-translate/core usage and TranslatePipe/TranslateModule usage.
2. Discover locale file set:
   • Identify the locale directory and all locale JSON files (for example public/i18n/*.json or assets/i18n/*.json).
3. Detect key style from existing files:
   • Flat keys ("dashboard.title": "...") or nested keys ("dashboard": { "title": "..." }).
4. Determine default/reference locale:
   • Usually en.json; otherwise use the project’s configured default locale.

If any preflight step fails, stop and report the blocker before editing content.

Deterministic Workflow

1. Define the translation key

• Create one stable key for each new phrase using existing project naming patterns.
• Prefer dot notation style consistent with the repository.
• Do not split one phrase across multiple keys unless the project already does so for that exact case.

2. Replace hardcoded template text

• Static text: {{ 'feature.section.label' | translate }}
• Interpolated text: {{ 'feature.section.message' | translate:{ name: user.name } }}
• Attribute binding: [placeholder]="'common.search' | translate", [title]="'common.info' | translate"

3. Add the key to locale files

• Add the same key path to every locale JSON file discovered in preflight.
• Use the default locale wording as the source value.
• For locales without confirmed translation, temporarily copy default-locale text and record a follow-up outside JSON.

4. Preserve file conventions

• Keep the project’s existing key structure (flat or nested).
• Keep valid JSON syntax and formatting conventions.

Verification Checklist

• New key follows existing naming/style conventions.
• Template/attribute no longer contains newly introduced hardcoded user-facing text.
• Key exists in every locale JSON file.
• Interpolation parameter names are consistent across locales.
• Locale files remain valid JSON.
• Unrelated locale entries are unchanged.

Failure Handling

• Missing locale files: stop and report missing files; request explicit file creation path.
• Mixed key conventions in same locale set: follow dominant convention and note inconsistency.
• Malformed locale JSON: stop and report exact file and parse issue; do not rewrite blindly.
• Non-static/dynamic content request: do not force key extraction if text is runtime-generated data.

References

• Practical patterns and detection rules: reference.md
• Before/after snippets: examples.md