User::Language

⚠︎ Name change ⚠This module changed name from Intl::UserLanguage to User::Language. It will continue to provide under both names until the end of 2024.

This is a incredibly simple module for Raku designed to do one thing and one thing only: obtain the current user’s preferred language(s). There is no universal way to do this, so this module aims to be the one-stop shop to get that information.

To use, simply ask for the preferred language (if you just want one) or preferred languages (more common).

use Intl::UserLanguage;
user-language;  # ↪︎ [ast-US] (on my system)
user-languages; # ↪︎ [ast-US], [es-US], [en-US], [pt-PT] (on my system)
                #   (sidenote: no idea why Apple adds -US onto ast…)
                #   (sidenote: Microsoft makes it ast-Latn… weird.)

In truth, the preferred language is just a wrapper for calling .head on the list. I'd recommend using the plural version anytime there may need to be a negotiation to find a best (HTTP request headers, localization frameworks).

In any case, both functions allow you to supply a default code which may be a string in BCP-47 format or a LanguageTag. This is useful in case for some reason the user’s language(s) cannot be determined, for example, if the user is running an operating system that has not had its settings cataloged in this module. If you do not provide a default, and no language can be found, the default default language is en (English).

As a final option, particularly if you want to test your code with other languages, you can override the user’s system languages:

use Intl::UserLanguage :override;  # imports override functions
user-languages; # ↪︎ [ast-US], [es-US], [en-US], [pt-PT] (on my system)
override-user-languages('jp','zh');
user-languages; # ↪︎ [jp], [zh]

The override can be cleared at any time with clear-user-language-override. Note that the override is global, and there is no current way to lexically scope it;

Support

Support is current available for the following OSes:

• macOSFull list of languages (as defined in System Preferences → Language & Region → Preferred Languages). Paralinguistic preferences (e.g. calendar type) are not set on a per-language basis, so they carry to all languages.

• Linux: If $LANGUAGE is set, then an ordered list is provided. Otherwise, it falls back to the more universal $LANG, which only provides a single language.

• Windows: If the registry value Languages is set in HKCU\Control Panel\International\User Profile, uses the ordered list found there. Otherwise, it falls back to the registry value LocaleName found in at HKCU\Control Panel\International.

Support is not available for *nix machines right now, but only because I am not sure what the $*DISTRO value is for those systems. I imagine detection will be similar if not identical to Linux. Please contact me with your $*DISTRO value and how to detect your system language(s) and I'll gladly add it.

Lightweight mode (under development)

If your program only needs the language code to pass it through to something that only employs strings (e.g. to directly create an HTTP request), it may be useful to use the module in a :light mode. Instead of receiving a LanguageTag object, you will get a Str that can be passed into other modules.

Version History

• 0.5.0

  • Renamed module to User::Language to be in line with modules like User::Timezone

  • Fixed a bug in the fallbacks as specified by use statements

• 0.4.0

  • Moved individual OS versions into separate submodules. This will be more maintainable long term

  • Adjusted OS detection for macOS (Rakudo no longer reports it as macosx but rather macos)

  • Completely rewritten Mac code to support some extended attributes.

    • Sets up a model for using NativeCall when possible, and falling back to a slower method if not (Windows will eventually adopt a similar approach)

• 0.3

  • Cache language(s) on first call to user-language[s]This should provide a substantial speed up for modules like Intl::* that call this frequently as a fall back.

Licenses and Legal Stuff

This module is Copyright 2020-2022 by Matthew Stephen Stuckwisch and licensed under the Artistic License 2.0 which is included with the source. Camelia (the butterfly) is a trademark belonging to Larry Walls and used in accordance with his terms.