Java Based Internationalization Made Easier

Internationalizing Java applications includes highly repetitive tasks.  The standard method is to use a property file per supported language, which effectively contains a look-up table of content that is presented in the user interface.  Hard-coded content displayed in the user interface is moved into properties files, and is replaced with unique keys.  Initially, the following syntax was used for naming keys:

• <source file name>.<description>

The format allowed developers to quickly determine where the key is used in the source code.  It also helped provide translators the general area of the user interface the content is used, thus providing a bit of context.  Later in the project, translators requested further information to narrow down context even further.  The following format, which includes a look-up value used to indicate descriptor (button, label, link, title, etc...), was used:

• <source file name>.<descriptor>.<description>

Note that keys are only used once within each application to maximize translation flexibility.  We wanted to avoid forcing translators to use the same content in multiple places, which could result in incorrect contexts.
In general, internationalizing applications is not a technically difficult task.  However, it is time consuming, repetitive, monotonous work and therefore prone to errors.  Anything that can be done to minimize errors due to this is highly recommended.
Syntax highlighting source code editors are hugely advantageous when internationalizing applications.  These editors allow developers to efficiently scan source code for literals, which is where content that requires translating resides.
However, these editors can't provide syntax highlighting for languages within languages which is sometimes the case.  For example, Java source code literals can contain HTML source, which in turn contains JavaScript.  Source inside of source is important because different escape sequences are required.

To simplify the effort, a class should be used to maximize code reuse in the application.  Create methods in the class that perform common tasks such as returning text based on a properties file key, adding escape sequences to content based on the target language (HTML, JavaScript, JavaScript within HTML) and formatting numbers.

I found that using tools like AutoHotKey to automate common tasks was extremely beneficial.  I created a shortcut that copied the currently selected text to the clipboard and replaced the text with a method call to the internationalization object, including the source file name as the argument.  The appropriate quotes and concatenation operators were also included.  Then I only had to type in a description for the text, and put the corresponding entry in the appropriate property files.  With minimal ingenuity, AutoHotKey can automate most of the task of inserting the entry in the property files as well.  Basically any task/key sequence you are doing repeatedly can be added to AutoHotKey. 
After changing my development to use AutoHotKey, I found that the number of errors was significantly reduced.  Originally, I had a relatively large amount of typos, missing and out of order letters, etc… in the source code and property files.  Afterwards, these were almost entirely eliminated.  Furthermore, I was internationalizing the source code much faster than before.