playbook/antigravity-awesome-skills/skills/swiftui-expert-skill/references/text-patterns.md

SwiftUI Text Patterns Reference

For broader localization guidance — String Catalogs, #bundle for packages, LocalizedStringResource, locale-aware formatting, RTL layout, and translator comments — see references/localization.md. This file covers only the verbatim-vs-localized decision for a single Text.

Table of Contents

• Text Initialization: Verbatim vs Localized

Text Initialization: Verbatim vs Localized

Default: always use Text("…"). Only use Text(verbatim:) when explicitly required for a string literal that must not be localized.

// Localized literal - "Save" is used as the localization key and looked up in Localizable.strings (only if one exists in the project)
Text("Save")

// String variable - bypasses localization automatically; no verbatim needed
let filename: String = model.exportFilename
Text(filename)

// Non-localized literal - use verbatim only when the literal must not be localized
Text(verbatim: "pencil")

Decision Flow

Is the input a String variable or dynamic value?
└─ YES → Text(variable)          // bypasses localization automatically

Is the string literal intended for localization?
├─ YES → Text("…")               // default; key looked up in Localizable.strings
└─ NO  → Text(verbatim: "…")     // only when explicitly non-localized