How to Set Global Culture in .NET Core for Multilingual Websites

Creating a multilingual website is an excellent strategy to reach global audiences, but it also requires a lot of effort. In addition to translating content, you need to ensure that your website’s layout, currency, date formats, and other elements align with the local culture. One way to accomplish this is by setting the global culture in .NET Core.

In this article, we will explore how to set the global culture in .NET Core for multilingual websites, along with some best practices and the benefits of doing so.

What is Global Culture and Why is it Important?

In software development, culture refers to a set of conventions, such as datetime and number formats, currency symbols, and language, that different regions or communities set for themselves. Global culture is important for creating a consistent and personalized user experience that resonates with the target audience.

For instance, a website selling products in multiple countries should display prices in local currencies, use the correct date and time formats, and provide localized product details. The lack of global culture can lead to confusion and frustration among users, affecting the website’s credibility and reputation.

Setting Global Culture in .NET Core

.NET Core is a versatile framework and provides the necessary tools to manage the global culture of your application. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Install the Localization Package

The first step is to install the Microsoft.Extensions.Localization package from the NuGet package manager. This package contains the necessary interface and classes required for localization.

Step 2: Create Resource Files

Resource files store the localized values for your website. Create resource files for each language you want to support and include the necessary content, such as messages, labels, and error messages.

Step 3: Configure Supported Cultures

In your project, configure supported cultures in the Startup.cs file, under the ConfigureServices method.

“`csharp
services.AddLocalization(options => options.ResourcesPath = “Resources”);
services.Configure(options =>
{
var supportedCultures = new List
{
new CultureInfo(“en-US”),
new CultureInfo(“fr-FR”),
new CultureInfo(“zh-CN”),
};
options.DefaultRequestCulture = new RequestCulture(“en-US”);
options.SupportedCultures = supportedCultures;
options.SupportedUICultures = supportedCultures;
});
“`

This code snippet configures supported cultures and sets the default request culture to English (US).

Step 4: Use Localization Middleware

Finally, utilize the localization middleware in your application by adding the following code to the Configure method in Startup.cs.

“`csharp
app.UseRequestLocalization(app.ApplicationServices.GetRequiredService());
“`

This middleware uses the RequestLocalizationOptions class configured in the previous step to determine the current culture and apply the correct translations.

Benefits of Setting Global Culture in .NET Core

Setting global culture in .NET Core offers several benefits, including:

Improved user experience: A website that aligns with the target audience’s culture and language can offer a seamless and personalized experience that enhances user engagement and increases the chances of conversions.
Consistency: With consistent date and time formats, and number and currency symbols, users can easily understand the content and avoid confusion.
Scalability: Setting up your application with global culture early on allows the website to scale effectively as you add more languages and regions.
Standardization: .NET Core follows international standards for localization. Using this framework ensures that your website is compatible with third-party tools and applications that use the same standards.

Conclusion

Setting global culture in .NET Core is an effective way to enhance your website’s user experience and reach a broader audience. In this article, we learned how to configure the supported cultures and use middleware to create a personalized user experience. By adopting global culture early on, you can offer a consistent and scalable website that resonates with different regions and communities.