LANG File Extension

What is the .LANG file type?

The .lang extension stands for 'Language' and is used to denote multi-language support files. Most frequently, it can be found in Skype language files (.lang). Skype is an extremely popular VoIP (Voice-over-IP) audio/video communications software by Skype/Microsoft. Skype uses LANG files to support multiple languages in its GUI (Graphical User's Interface). Skype supports about 40 languages from the box and also offers an option to load/edit/save a custom .lang file, providing a simple built-in language file editor.

A Skype .lang file is a Unicode-encoded plaintext file around several hundred kilobytes in size. It contains only a list of assignment statements (one per line), assigning every GUI text item with a proper name (phrase) in a given language. Skype .lang files can be opened/edited in any text editor, including Skype's own.

With the same purpose, the .lang extension is also used in CDex International Support Files (LANG) in connection with CDex, an open-source CD audio extraction tool for MS Windows. CDex .lang files are plaintext files, with about a dozen included with CDex and located at the 'Program Files\CDex\lang' directory by default. Each .lang file contains a series of assignment statements, by which the correct codepage, language code and GUI phrases are set. CDex LANG files are self-documented through the use of comments.

LANG files are also used in connection with Mojang Minecraft, a massively popular Java-based online game that allows players to build their own virtual worlds based on elementary cubic shapes of different color/texture. With Minecraft, .lang files are plaintext files stored inside the game's main JAR (Java archive) file and can be extracted, edited and put back to support a different language.

In a broad sense, the .lang extension can be used with any files that are involved in language definition in a multi-language software environment. A number of applications on different platforms may use .lang files for their localization purposes. Most .lang files would be Unicode plaintext files.

Software to open or convert LANG files

Notepad++ by Notepad++ Team

 

Internet Explorer

 

NexusFile by xiles

 

Klipfolio

 

Klipfolio Personal Dashboard

 

Free File Viewer Pro

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