---
id: resourcebundle
version: "2.2.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# ResourceBundle — ResourceBundle is a module that manages internationalization of string resources.

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 83.5K/mo

## What it is and what it does

ResourceBundle is a bridge for Python developers who need to work with Java PropertyResourceBundle files—the same key-value format Java uses for i18n. It loads locale-specific resource bundles, retrieves translated strings by key, and falls back through parent bundles (e.g., from en_US to en to a default) when a key is not found. The package also includes a converter to migrate PropertyResourceBundle files to Python's standard gettext format.

The package is explicitly not the Pythonic way to do internationalization; the author recommends using Python's built-in gettext module for new projects. ResourceBundle is intended for porting existing Java applications to Python or for teams that must maintain compatibility with Java resource files. It has a single runtime dependency (importlib-metadata) and supports Python 3.5 through 3.13.

Use it for:

- Porting a Java application to Python while preserving existing PropertyResourceBundle translation files.
- Loading locale-specific strings from .properties files in a Python application that originated from Java.
- Converting Java ResourceBundle files to gettext .po files as a one-time migration step.
- Maintaining a shared resource bundle format across Java and Python codebases in a polyglot team.
- Quick prototyping when you already have Java .properties files and need them available in Python immediately.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

ResourceBundle manages internationalization and localization of string resources in Java PropertyResourceBundle format, allowing you to load locale-specific key-value pairs and fall back through parent bundles.

Yes, if you must work with Java PropertyResourceBundle files or are porting from Java. The package is low-friction to install and has no known vulnerabilities. However, it is dormant—do not expect active maintenance or bug fixes. For new Python projects, use Python's standard gettext module instead. The package is suitable for legacy integration or one-time migration tasks.

## Install

pip install resourcebundle
uv add resourcebundle
poetry add resourcebundle

## Installing ResourceBundle

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with low friction—a pure Python wheel with only importlib-metadata as a runtime dependency. The package is dormant (last release April 2024, last commit July 2024) but not archived, so it remains available; expect no active maintenance.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—suitable for most projects that need to consume ResourceBundle files.

Quickstart:

import ResourceBundle

bundle = ResourceBundle.get_bundle("Strings", "en")
value = bundle.get("key")

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package handles Java PropertyResourceBundle format edge cases or encoding variations not documented in the excerpt.
- Performance characteristics when loading large .properties files or working with many locales.
- Whether the Converter.to_gettext() method is production-ready or primarily a migration aid.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 83.5K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

java resourcebundle python, i18n localization properties files, internationalization string resources, locale-specific translations, properties file loader, java properties to python, l10n bundle management, i18n-l10n, java-interop

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