How to localize formatDuration

[hayata-suenaga]

I want to localize the string returned by formatDuration.

formatDuration takes an option object that has locale field. However, this field is an object typed as Pick<Locale, "formatDistance">. The locale object needs to have the formatDistance method.

I want to localize the durations string with just the language code. Is there a way to achieve this?

[sumodmatto]

@hayata-suenaga

Importing the locale object that includes the formatDistance property and using it directly is indeed a viable approach. Alternatively, if you prefer using string identifiers for locales, you could consider mapping these strings to their corresponding locale objects.

Here’s how you can implement it using date-fns:

import { enUS, fr, de, ja } from "date-fns/locale";
import { formatDuration } from "date-fns";

const locales = {
  en: enUS,
  fr: fr,
  de: de,
  ja: ja,
};

// Example usage:
const duration = { years: 1, months: 6 };
const languageCode = "ja";
const options = { locale: locales[languageCode] };
const output = formatDuration(duration, options);
console.log(output); // Outputs the duration in Japanese

This approach provides a flexible and straightforward way to utilize different locales by referring to them through language codes.