This specification defines a standard container for localizable content, especially messages that support Unicode MessageFormat [[CLDR]].
This specification defines a container for messages, including a data model, file-based serialization, and basic processing.
Message resources allow application and document format authors to separate strings and other content that might need localization from the logic and presentational structure of Web content. This includes (but is not limited to) HTML pages, scripts, manifests, or other documents. This allows for the creation, translation, or adaptation to new languages or locales without affecting the core functionality and fascilitates management of presentation to audiences that vary by language or culture.
In this document [[RFC2119]] keywords in uppercase italics have their usual meaning. We also use these stylistic conventions:
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This section contains terminology specific to this document.
Much of the terminology needed to understand this document is provided by the Internationalization Glossary [[I18N-GLOSSARY]]
Message. In this document's context, a "message" refers to a specific message format pattern string, including additional data or metadata relating to the message's handling or localization.
Unicode MessageFormat ("MF2") is a Unicode Consortium standard defined as part of [[UTS35]] that defines the data model, syntax, processing, and conformance requirements for the next generation of dynamic messages.
The syntax of a message resource is described by the following [[ABNF]]: