Let’s Get Personal!

Imagine your app is a boutique, and every user feels like a VIP when they walk in. Just like a good shop assistant knows their customers’ preferences, your app can now personalize its language to suit each user’s grammatical gender. Android 14’s new Grammatical Inflection API makes this magic happen without a hitch. Ready to make your app more engaging? Let’s dive in!

Step 1: Understanding Grammatical Gender

Think of grammatical gender like addressing your friends. You might say “Mr. Smith” or “Ms. Johnson” based on their gender. Similarly, in many languages, the words we use change depending on the gender of the person we’re talking to.

Step 2: Setting Up Your App

First, you’ll need to ask your users for their grammatical gender. This is like asking them if they prefer coffee or tea; it’s all about giving them what they love.

Example: Asking the User

// Kotlin example to set user's grammatical gender
val gIM = mContext.getSystemService(GrammaticalInflectionManager::class.java)
gIM.setRequestedApplicationGrammaticalGender(Configuration.GRAMMATICAL_GENDER_FEMININE)

// Java example to set user's grammatical gender
GrammaticalInflectionManager gIM = mContext.getSystemService(GrammaticalInflectionManager.class);
gIM.setRequestedApplicationGrammaticalGender(Configuration.GRAMMATICAL_GENDER_FEMININE);

Step 3: Creating Gendered Translations

Now, it’s time to personalize the greetings and messages in your app. Think of it like having different outfits for different occasions. You’ll create different strings for each grammatical gender.

Example: Creating Translations

In your res folder, you’ll have different XML files for each gender:

• res/values-fr-feminine/strings.xml
• res/values-fr-masculine/strings.xml
• res/values-fr/strings.xml (for neutral or default)

<!-- Feminine -->
<resources>
    <string name="welcome_message">Bienvenue, abonnée!</string>
</resources>

<!-- Masculine -->
<resources>
    <string name="welcome_message">Bienvenue, abonné!</string>
</resources>

<!-- Default/Neutral -->
<resources>
    <string name="welcome_message">Bienvenue!</string>
</resources>

Step 4: Applying the Grammatical Inflection

Once you’ve got your translations, Android handles the rest. The Grammatical Inflection API ensures the right string is shown to each user, just like a smart assistant handing over the perfect beverage.

Step 5: Handling Configuration Changes

When a user changes their grammatical gender, it’s like changing their outfit. You might need to reload the UI to show the new look.

Example: Handling Changes

In your AndroidManifest.xml:

<activity android:name=".MainActivity"
          android:configChanges="grammaticalGender"
          android:exported="true">
</activity>

Wrapping Up

Personalizing your app’s UI with grammatical gender is like adding a personal touch to each user’s experience. It makes them feel seen and valued, just like a barista remembering your favorite order. With the Grammatical Inflection API, it’s simple to implement and can significantly enhance user engagement.

For more details, check out the official documentation. Happy coding!

This article is previously published on proandroiddev.com