Chapter 28. Data language and internationalization
This chapter covers
- Creating localized data tables
- Using PSD1 files
- Testing localized scripts
PowerShell v2 introduced a data language element for the shell, designed to help separate text from the functional code of a script or command. By separating text, you can make it easier to swap out alternate versions of that text. The primary use case for doing so is localizing a script, meaning you swap out your original language text strings for an alternate language. Internationalization is the act of designing your code to enable this swap out of language-specific data.
We acknowledge up front that this is a fairly specialized feature and that few administrators will typically use it, though if you’re working for a large multinational company this might just be a big help. We’re including it to help ensure that this book is as complete as possible, but we’ll keep it brief. You can find additional help in two of PowerShell’s help files: about_script_internationalization and about_data_sections.