A script for launching OS X apps using any given human language.

using-lang.sh

#!/bin/bash

# A script for launching OS X apps using any given human language.

if [ $# -ne 2 ]; then
    echo "Usage: $0 [language] [application]"
    echo "Example:"
    echo "  $0 fr_CA /Applications/iCal.app"
    exit 1
fi

language_code=$1
app_bundle=$2

if [[ $app_bundle != /* ]]; then
    app_bundle=`pwd`/$app_bundle
fi

app_bundle_ident=`defaults read "$app_bundle/Contents/Info" CFBundleIdentifier`
bundle_executable=`defaults read "$app_bundle/Contents/Info" CFBundleExecutable`

echo "Setting AppleLanguages to $language_code..."
defaults write $app_bundle_ident "AppleLanguages" "($language_code)"

"$app_bundle/Contents/MacOS/$bundle_executable"

echo "Deleting AppleLanguages key..."
defaults delete $app_bundle_ident "AppleLanguages"