Ofbiz Plugins

name: manage-localization-advanced description: Manage advanced localization in OFBiz, including date/time formatting, currency conversion, and locale-specific data handling beyond simple labels.

Manage Localization Advanced Skill

This skill covers localization techniques in OFBiz that go beyond standard UI labels, focusing on data formatting and locale-aware logic.

Date and Time Localization

Use UtilDateTime for date arithmetic and locale-specific date retrieval.

Pattern: Formatting Dates

// Format date for specific locale and timezone
String formattedDate = UtilFormatOut.formatDate(myDate, "yyyy-MM-dd", locale, timeZone);

// Format date-time for specific locale and timezone
String formattedDateTime = UtilFormatOut.formatDateTime(myTimestamp, "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm", locale, timeZone);

Pattern: Date Arithmetic

// Get start of month for a timestamp
Timestamp monthStart = UtilDateTime.getMonthStart(nowTimestamp, timeZone, locale);

// Add days to timestamp
Timestamp weekLater = UtilDateTime.addDaysToTimestamp(nowTimestamp, 7);

Currency and Number Formatting

Use UtilFormatOut and UtilNumber for currency and numeric formatting.

Pattern: Formatting Currency

// Format currency based on ISO code and locale
String priceStr = UtilFormatOut.formatCurrency(priceBigDecimal, "USD", locale);

// Format percentage
String percentStr = UtilFormatOut.formatPercentage(discountDouble);

UOM (Unit of Measure) System

OFBiz uses the Uom and UomConversion entities for units of measure and currency conversion.

Pattern: Currency Conversion

// Convert currency using standard service
Map<String, Object> results = dispatcher.runSync("convertUom", UtilMisc.toMap(
    "uomId", "USD",
    "uomIdTo", "EUR",
    "originalValue", priceAmount
));
BigDecimal convertedValue = (BigDecimal) results.get("convertedValue");

Localized Data Storage

For properties stored in the database (e.g., system settings), use EntityUtilProperties.

Pattern: Localized DB Properties

<!-- In SystemProperty.xml -->
<SystemProperty systemResourceId="general" systemPropertyId="currency.uom.id.default" systemPropertyValue="USD"/>

// Retrieve localized property from DB
String currencyId = EntityUtilProperties.getPropertyValue("general", "currency.uom.id.default", delegator);

Best Practices

1. Always Pass Locale/TimeZone: Never rely on Locale.getDefault() or TimeZone.getDefault() in multi-user web applications; always use the user's session locale and timezone.
2. Use UOM Entities: Prefer the Uom system for dimensions, weights, and currencies rather than hardcoding units.
3. Handle GMT: Use UtilDateTime.toGmtTimestampString() for logging or external API integrations that require a standard time representation.
4. Prefer UtilFormatOut: Use the utility classes for formatting to ensure consistency across the application.

Source: apache/ofbiz-plugins — distributed by TomeVault.