What Is It?

The Excel Language Import/Export feature in JCB lets you:

• Export all component language keys and values to a downloadable Excel file
• Translate or edit the strings in spreadsheet tools like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets
• Re-import the updated file into JCB to regenerate .ini language files
• Merge new or changed keys while preserving untranslated content

It bridges the gap between developers and translators and removes the need to manually edit .ini files.

Key Features

• 🧾 Export All Strings to Excel
  Download a preformatted .xlsx file with all current language keys and their values.
• 🌐 Multi-Language Support
  Export/import across all supported languages in your component (e.g., en-GB, de-DE, fr-FR).
• 🔁 Safe Round-Trip Workflow
  Import detects updates, skips unchanged strings, and preserves existing translations when possible.
• 📌 Key & Context Visibility
  Every row shows the language key, default value, and its context (field, view, layout, etc.).
• 🧠 Supports New Keys
  New language keys created in JCB during development are automatically included in the next export.
• 📤 Bulk Editing & Translation
  Non-developers can contribute to translations using a familiar Excel interface.
• 🛡️ Conflict-Free Integration
  Existing manual edits are preserved if no changes are detected in the imported file.

How to Use in JCB

• Go to the "Language Translations" in JCB.
• Click "Export" to download the Excel file (includes one sheet per language).
• Open the file in Excel or Google Sheets.
• Edit the values in the language columns (do not change keys).
• Save and re-upload via the "Import" button in JCB.
• Compile your component — the .ini language files are regenerated from the imported content.

Use Cases

• Translating your component into multiple languages
• Bulk editing terminology, labels, or descriptions
• Outsourcing translations to non-developers
• Auditing missing or duplicated language strings
• Merging new strings from blueprints or field changes

Versioning & Sharing

• Language exports can be saved in Git for team collaboration
• Import history is tracked within JCB logs
• Strings sync automatically with template, field, and layout changes

Best Practice Tip

Export early and often when collaborating with translators. Keep a copy of each imported file for future reference or version rollbacks.

Summary

JCB provides built-in support for importing and exporting all language strings in Excel format (.xlsx), enabling faster localization workflows, team collaboration on translations, and easier language maintenance.