A method, system, and computer program product for globalizing distributed software packages using a global API is disclosed. A text string in a source language is extracted from an independent package source code. An algorithm is used to calculate a resource message key for the text string. The resource message key and the text string are stored in a source language resource file. The text string is translated into an additional language to create a translated text string. The translated text string is stored with the resource message key in an additional language resource file. The independent package is distributed with the source language resource file, the additional language resource file, and the independent package program code bundled in the independent package.