Comparison between different backends for model translations

gistfile1.md

Difference between different Backends

Column Backend

• Creation of localized version of each attribute
• eg: title_en, title_fr, title_ja,
• mobility supports this using :column backend

Disadvantages

• not scalable when we support large number of locales due to increase in number of columns in the database
• Every time migration is required to introduce new attrbiute or locale

Table Backend

• Each model will have its separate translation model
• eg: Translated attrbiutes of User model will be stored in user_translations model
• user_translation model will contain columns such as
• user_id - to join translation model with its corresponding original model
• locale - locale column to store value of locale
• attributes to be translated - columns for attributes to be translated
• normal association between model and translation model

Advantages

• No wastage of database capacity
• No need of migration while adding translation of attribute for any new locale.
• more modular

Disadvantage

• hard querying of translated attrbiutes
• requires migration when we introduce new translated attribute to the existing model

Key-Value Backend

• A single translation model for all models
• creation of shared tables which will hold translations for all the model attributes
• shared tables will be created according to the data types
• data stored in form of key value pair
• eg: all string attributes of all models will be in one table, all text will be in another table
• Polymorphic association between shared tables and models

Advantages

• No extra migration for everytime we introduce translation for new locale or introduce new attribute in existing model
• Relatively space efficient
• Mobility promotes key-value backend as a default strategy for model translation

Disadvantages

• less modularity
• Complex Joining because of polymorphic association

Serialized Backend

• Stores serialized data in form of hash in a single column
• querying in serialized data not possilbe

  not considering to be used

.hstore and .jsonb Backend

• used for postgres database only

  not considering to be used

Easy Model translations with mobility

• Mobility promotes use of key-value backend and uses it as a default backend strategy
• Supports ActiveRecord
• Makes Basic operations such as caching, fallbacks, locale accessors, dirty tracking etc. way too easy