foundation work for server-side i18n support:

* ref TryGhost#5345 and TryGhost#3801
* creating helper methods for dealing with i18n initialization, polyfill and string+compilation
* initial structure for server-side JSON language file

core/server/i18n.js

@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+/* global Intl */
+
+var supportedLocales    = ['en'],
+    _                   = require('lodash'),
+    fs                  = require('fs'),
+    chalk               = require('chalk'),
+    MessageFormat       = require('intl-messageformat'),
+    errors              = require('./errors'),
+
+    // TODO: fetch this dynamically based on overall blog settings (`key = "defaultLang"` in the `settings` table
+    currentLocale       = 'en',
+    blos,
+    I18n;
+
+I18n = {
+
+    /**
+     * Helper method to find and compile the given data context with a proper string resource.
+     *
+     * @param {string} path Path with in the JSON language file to desired string (ie: "errors.init.jsNotBuilt")
+     * @param {json} context
+     * @returns {string}
+     */
+    t: function t(path, context) {
+        var string = I18n.findString(path),
+            msg;
+
+        // If the path returns an array (as in the case with anything that has multiple paragraphs such as emails), then
+        // loop through them and return an array of translated/formatted strings. Otherwise, just return the normal
+        // translated/formatted string.
+        if (_.isArray(string)) {
+            msg = [];
+            string.forEach(function (s) {
+                var m = new MessageFormat(s, currentLocale);
+
+                msg.push(m.format(context));
+            });
+        } else {
+            msg = new MessageFormat(string, currentLocale);
+            msg = msg.format(context);
+        }
+
+        return msg;
+    },
+
+    /**
+     * Parse JSON file for matching locale, returns string giving path.
+     *
+     * @param {string} msgPath Path with in the JSON language file to desired string (ie: "errors.init.jsNotBuilt")
+     * @returns {string}
+     */
+    findString: function findString(msgPath) {
+        var matchingString, path;
+
+        // no path? no string
+        if (_.isEmpty(msgPath) || !_.isString(msgPath)) {
+            chalk.yellow('i18n:t() - received an empty path.');
+            return '';
+        }
+
+        matchingString = blos;
+
+        path = msgPath.split('.');
+        path.forEach(function (key) {
+            // reassign matching object, or set to an empty string if there is no match
+            matchingString = matchingString[key] || null;
+        });
+
+        if (_.isNull(matchingString)) {
+            errors.logError('Unable to find matching path [' + msgPath + '] in locale file.');
+            matchingString = 'i18n error: path "' + msgPath + '" was not found.';
+        }
+
+        return matchingString;
+    },
+
+    /**
+     * Setup i18n support:
+     *  - Load proper language file in to memory
+     *  - Polyfill node.js if it does not have Intl support or support for a particular locale
+     */
+    init: function init() {
+        // read file for current locale and keep its content in memory
+        blos = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/translations/' + currentLocale + '.json');
+        blos = JSON.parse(blos);
+
+        if (global.Intl) {
+            // Determine if the built-in `Intl` has the locale data we need.
+            var hasBuiltInLocaleData,
+                IntlPolyfill;
+
+            hasBuiltInLocaleData = supportedLocales.every(function (locale) {
+                return Intl.NumberFormat.supportedLocalesOf(locale)[0] === locale &&
+                    Intl.DateTimeFormat.supportedLocalesOf(locale)[0] === locale;
+            });
+
+            if (!hasBuiltInLocaleData) {
+                // `Intl` exists, but it doesn't have the data we need, so load the
+                // polyfill and replace the constructors with need with the polyfill's.
+                IntlPolyfill = require('intl');
+                Intl.NumberFormat   = IntlPolyfill.NumberFormat;
+                Intl.DateTimeFormat = IntlPolyfill.DateTimeFormat;
+            }
+        } else {
+            // No `Intl`, so use and load the polyfill.
+            global.Intl = require('intl');
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+module.exports = I18n;

core/server/index.js

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ var express     = require('express'),
     uuid        = require('node-uuid'),
     _           = require('lodash'),
     Promise     = require('bluebird'),
+    i18n        = require('./i18n'),
 
     api         = require('./api'),
     config      = require('./config'),
@@ -186,6 +187,9 @@ function init(options) {
     }).then(function () {
         var adminHbs = hbs.create();
 
+        // Initialize Internationalization
+        i18n.init();
+
         // Output necessary notifications on init
         initNotifications();
         // ##Configuration

core/server/translations/en.json

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+    "common": {
+
+    },
+    "errors": {
+
+    },
+    "warnings": {
+
+    },
+    "notices": {
+
+    }
+}

package.json

@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
     "fs-extra": "0.18.4",
     "glob": "4.3.2",
     "html-to-text": "1.3.0",
+    "intl": "1.0.0",
+    "intl-messageformat": "1.1.0",
     "knex": "0.7.3",
     "lodash": "3.10.0",
     "moment": "2.10.3",