getLocales

getLocales is a JavaScript function that retrieves a list of the user's preferred locales. Locales represent user preferences for language, region, and sometimes other cultural conventions like date and number formatting. This function is part of the Web Internationalization API, designed to help developers adapt web content to different users' cultural expectations.

The function returns an array of strings. Each string in the array is a BCP 47 language tag, such as "en-US" for English in the United States, "fr-FR" for French in France, or "es-ES" for Spanish in Spain. The array is ordered by the user's preference, with the most preferred locale appearing first.

getLocales is typically accessed through the navigator object, for example, navigator.getLocales(). It allows web applications to dynamically adjust content, such as displaying text in the user's native language or formatting dates and numbers according to local conventions. This enhances user experience by making websites feel more personalized and accessible.

The browser determines the list of locales based on the user's operating system settings and browser preferences. Developers can use the returned array to select the most appropriate locale for displaying content, falling back to less preferred locales if the desired content is not available in the primary choice. This is a fundamental tool for building internationalized and localized web applications.