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Translating Steam Workshop Manager

Thank you for helping translate Steam Workshop Manager! This guide explains how to add a new language.

How localization works

Language files are .axaml XML files stored in the bundle folder:

OS Path
Windows %AppData%\SteamWorkshopManager\bundle\
macOS ~/.config/SteamWorkshopManager/bundle/
Linux ~/.config/SteamWorkshopManager/bundle/

On first launch, the app extracts the built-in languages (en-US.axaml, fr-FR.axaml) into this folder. Any .axaml file placed here is automatically discovered and available in Settings.

Adding a new language

1. Copy the English template

Copy en-US.axaml from the bundle folder (or from SteamWorkshopManager/Resources/Languages/en-US.axaml in the source) and rename it using the BCP 47 language tag format:

<language>-<REGION>.axaml

Examples: de-DE.axaml, ja-JP.axaml, pt-BR.axaml, zh-CN.axaml

2. Update the metadata keys

Every language file must include these three keys at the top. They are used by the app to identify and display the language in Settings:

<!-- Language metadata -->
<x:String x:Key="LanguageCode">de-DE</x:String>
<x:String x:Key="LanguageNativeName">Deutsch</x:String>
<x:String x:Key="LanguageDisplayName">German</x:String>
Key Description Example
LanguageCode Must match the filename (without .axaml) de-DE
LanguageNativeName Language name in that language (shown in the UI) Deutsch
LanguageDisplayName Language name in English German

3. Translate the strings

Translate the value of each <x:String> entry. Do not change the x:Key attributes, only the text between the tags.

<!-- English -->
<x:String x:Key="Save">Save</x:String>

<!-- German translation -->
<x:String x:Key="Save">Speichern</x:String>

4. Test your translation

Drop your file into the bundle folder and restart the app. Your language should appear as a selectable card in Settings > Language.

File format reference

The file must be a valid Avalonia ResourceDictionary:

<ResourceDictionary xmlns="https://github.com/avaloniaui"
                    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
    <!-- Language metadata -->
    <x:String x:Key="LanguageCode">de-DE</x:String>
    <x:String x:Key="LanguageNativeName">Deutsch</x:String>
    <x:String x:Key="LanguageDisplayName">German</x:String>

    <!-- Translated strings -->
    <x:String x:Key="Save">Speichern</x:String>
    <!-- ... all other keys ... -->
</ResourceDictionary>

Guidelines

  • Translate every key. Missing keys will fall back to English, but a complete translation is preferred.
  • Keep placeholders intact. Some strings contain {0}, {1}, etc. These are replaced at runtime with dynamic values. Keep them in your translation.
  • Don't translate key names. Only translate the text content, never the x:Key value.
  • Match the tone. Keep translations concise and consistent with the existing UI style.

Contributing

To contribute your translation to the project:

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Add your .axaml file to SteamWorkshopManager/Resources/Languages/
  3. Open a pull request

We will add it to the built-in languages so all users can benefit from it.