Chapter 18 Localization
Configuration Qualifiers
You have now seen and used several configuration qualifiers for providing alternative resources:
language (e.g., values-es/), screen orientation (e.g., layout-land/), screen density (e.g., drawable-
mdpi/), and screen size (e.g., layout-sw600dp).
The device configurations for which Android provides configuration qualifiers to target resources are:
- mobile country code (MCC), optionally followed by mobile network code (MNC)
- language code, optionally followed by region code
- layout direction
- smallest width
- available width
- available height
- screen size
- screen aspect
- round screen (API level 23 and above)
- screen orientation
- UI mode
- night mode
- screen density (dpi)
- touchscreen type
- keyboard availability
- primary text input method
- navigation key availability
- primary non-touch navigation method
- API level
You can find descriptions of these characteristics and examples of specific configuration
qualifiers at developer.android.com/guide/topics/resources/providing-
resources.html#AlternativeResources.
Not all qualifiers are supported by earlier versions of Android. Luckily the system implicitly adds a
platform version qualifier to qualifiers that were introduced after Android 1.0. So if, for example, you
use the round qualifier, Android will automatically include the v23 qualifier, because round screen
qualifiers were added in API level 23. This means you do not have to worry about problems on older
devices when you introduce resources qualified for newer devices.