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Display dynamic values in a localized string

Drive a Smart String entry with a local variable from a script.
Read time 2 minutesLast updated 16 hours ago
Drive a Smart String entry with a local variable from a script.
This example builds a score readout that localizes its text and updates its number from gameplay: 
Score: 120
in English, 
Punkte: 120
in German. The collection table entry owns the sentence, while an associated script owns the number. For the format syntax, refer to Smart Strings.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have the following:

Author the entry

To author a Smart String entry:
  1. Open Window > Localization > Resource Tables and select the collection.
  2. Add a key named 
    score-display
    with the entry type String.
  3. Enable the key's Smart string toggle from the row's actions menu (⋮).
  4. Give each locale a value that uses a placeholder named 
    score
    , for example 
    Score: {score}
    in English.
Because each placeholder has a name, each translation can place it wherever the language needs it.

Update the value from a script

Add a 
LocalizedString
field, register an 
IntVariable
 named 
score
in its local variables, and refresh when the value changes:
public class ScoreDisplay : MonoBehaviour    {        public LocalizedString scoreText = new();        IntVariable m_Score = new();        void OnEnable()        {            scoreText.LocalVariables.Add(m_Score, "score");            scoreText.StringChanged += OnStringChanged;        }        void OnDisable()        {            scoreText.StringChanged -= OnStringChanged;            scoreText.LocalVariables.Remove("score");        }        void OnStringChanged(string value) => GetComponent<TextMesh>().text = value;        public void AddPoints(int points)        {            m_Score.Value += points;            scoreText.RefreshString();        }    }
In the
Inspector

?

window, set the 
scoreText
field to the 
score-display
entry. Each call to 
AddPoints
updates the variable and calls 
RefreshString
, which re-raises 
StringChanged
 with the formatted value. A language change re-raises it too, so the readout stays correct after a value change and after a language change.

Extend the example

For more information about how you can configure dynamic text in your application using Smart Strings, refer to the following links:
  • Handle pluralization in the entry itself with the plural formatter, so each language picks the right word form from the count.
  • Share values across many strings with persistent variables instead of per-reference local variables.
  • Pass one-off values as arguments to 
    GetLocalizedString
     instead of registering variables.

Additional resources