Techniques and solutions are described for translating strings in a human language that are associated with code, such as code that declares user interface elements in association with which the strings can be displayed. The strings can be embedded in code, or can be included in files that are accessed by the code or used in creating executable code. Strings can be extracted from data, such as files, received in a translation request. After translation, such as by a human translator or using automatic translation, the translation results can be provided in response to the translation request. The translation process can be automated, such that changes to files in a code repository can trigger a translation request. Disclosed technologies can facilitate the production of programs that are localized using different human languages.