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ActiveJun 2025

excel_to_arb

A command-line tool that simplifies localization management by converting Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx) into Flutter's ARB (Application Resource Bundle) format.y hostels in real-time using GPS and interactive maps.

  • Dart
  • Open Source
  • pub.dev
GitHub →pub.dev →

Features

  • Effortless Conversion: Quickly transforms .xlsx files into .arb files.
  • Placeholder Support: Automatically handles dynamic values (e.g., {name}) with type definitions for robust localization.
  • Description Inclusion: Supports adding descriptive context for each translation key.
  • Command-Line Interface: Easy to integrate into your build or CI/CD workflows using familiar flags.

Installation

You can activate this tool globally on your system, making it accessible from any directory.

dart pub global activate excel_to_arb

Usage

Excel File Preparation

  • Name must follow pattern: app_*.xlsx (e.g., app_my.xlsx)
  • Structure your spreadsheet with these columns:

| Key | Value | Description (optional) | Placeholder (name:type) | | ------- | ------------ | ---------------------- | ----------------------- | | hello | မင်္ဂလာပါ | Greeting text | name:String , age: int | | goodbye | နုတ်ဆက်ပါတယ် | Farewell text | name:String , age: int |

Example Files: You can find sample Excel files demonstrating this structure in the resources/l10n directory of this repository:

https://github.com/Kaung-Myat/excel_to_arb/tree/main/resources/l10n

Running the Converter

Once your Excel files are prepared, run the tool from your terminal.

excel_to_arb --source <path/to/source/excel/dir> --target <path/to/target/arb/dir>

Arguments:

  • -s , --source : (Required) The path to the directory containing your app_*.xlsx files.

  • -t,--target : (Required) The path to the directory where the generated app_*.arb files will be saved. The tool will create this directory if it doesn't exist.

  • -h,--help : Displays usage information and available options.

Example

excel_to_arb --source /path/to/your_project/resources/l10n --target /path/to/your_project/config/l10n