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How to set up a multilanguage website in 10 steps & Ideas, Setups and Tips

Joomla 2.5 has a built-in option to use Joomla for multilingual websites. It's an awesome functionality but it can be a hassle to set it up correctly. The languages are independent of each other, and to manage translations for all different languages, a 3rd party multilingual content manager can be used. Matthew Philogene & Peter Martin will show you how to set up a multilingual website with Joomla 2.5, and how you could use the 3rd party multilingual content manager Josetta.

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How to create a multilingual website with Joomla 2.5 in 10 steps?

>>> Sheets will be made available <<< Matthew Philogene & Peter Martin

Joomladays Cape Town 2012
Friday 17 August 2012 Saturday 18 August 2012

Overview Presentation
 Introduction  Create

a Multilingual website in 10 steps  Questions?

 Warning:

The articles in Dutch & Afrikaans have been translated with Google Translate. Don't try this at home... :-)

Our fictional website
Subject: Dutch & South African Food  Website currently in English  Multilingual website?


Goals for our Multilingual Website
  

Three languages: English + Dutch + Afrikaans English will be default language Keep old hyperlinks to website (prevent 404 errors)

Joomla! 2.5
How to create a Multilingual website With Joomla 2.5 in 10 steps?

Multi language in 10 steps
1. Install Language Pack: Joomla system “labels”: “Read more...” 2. Define Content Languages 3. Enable & Configure “System - Language Filter” plugin 4. Create Root Category for every Language 5. Create Articles 6. Create Menus (every Language own Menu) 7. Create Menu Items & Menu Item Association 8. Create Menu Modules (every Language own Menu Module) 9. Create Language Switcher Module 10.Redirect old incoming links
6

1. Install Language pack
 In
– –

Extensions > Extension Manager > install language pack
Default = en-GB Install: nl-NL + af-ZA

 Alternative
–

installation:

Upload language folder to right locations & use Extensions > Discover > install

1. Screen: Install Language pack

1. Screen: Installed Languages

2. Content Languages
 Create
– –

“Content Language”

In Extensions > Language Manager > Content For every language create a "content language"
 Title:

Afrikaans (AF)  Title Native: Afrikaans (AF)  URL Language Code: af  Image Prefix: af  Language Tag: af-ZA

2. Screen: Content Language

2. Screen: Content Languages

3. Enable “System - Language Filter” plugin
 In
–

Extensions > Plug-in Manager
"System - Language Filter"
 Status:

Enabled  Menu associations: Yes  Remove URL Language Code: Yes (For SEO)

3. Screen:“System - Language Filter” plugin

4. Create Language Categories
 In
–

Content > Category Manager create a Root Category for every language
Dutch
Title: Dutch  Language: Dutch (NL) [select content language]


–

English
Title: English  Language: English (UK) [select content language]


–

Afrikaans
Title: Afrikaans  Language: Afrikaans (AF) [select content language]


4. Screen: Create Language Categories

4b. Create Language Categories


Create subcategories under the language categories – English  Food – Dutch Food – South African Food – Afrikaans  Eet – Nederlandse Eet – Suid-Afrikaans Eet – Nederlands  Eten – Nederlands Eten – Zuid-Afrikaans Eten

4. Screen: Create Language Categories

5. Create Articles
 In
– –

Content > Article Manager create "Articles" and:
Select “Language” category Select “Language” [select content language]

5. Screen: Create Articles

5b. Create Articles
 Useful

tool: Batch process the selected articles – Batch copy + set language of articles
 Set

Language  Select Category for Move/Copy  Copy  Click [Process] button

5b. Screen: Create Articles

5c. Create Articles


Don't forget: – Check “Category” & “Language” – Create title in Language – Create a new Alias For non-latin alphabet languages (Thai):
Year-Month-Day-Hours-Minutes-Seconds

Alternative: use English Alias – Or Global Configuration > Site > SEO Settings > Unicode Aliases: Yes
–
28

5c. Screen: Create Articles

6. Create Menu
 In
– – –

Menus > Menu Manager create a Menu for every language
Title: Dutch Menu, Menu Type: dutchmenu Title: English Menu, Menu Type: englishmenu Title: Afrikaans Menu, Menu Type: afrikaansmenu

 Do

not change “Main Menu”!

6. Screen: Create Menu

7. Create Menu Item


In Menus > [language] menu > create some Menu Items: – Menu Item Type: [choose Type] – Menu Title (“menu button”) + Alias (“title in URL”) – Menu Location: [select “language menu"] – Language: [ select “content language”] – Under parameters: [select some [language] Article or [language] Category]

7. Screen: Create Menu Item

7b. Menu items
 Set
–

default “Homepage” in every language menu
Click in Menus > Menu Manager [language] on “default” star to set language flag

7b. Screen: Menu items

7c. Menu items
 Use

“Menu Item Associations” to associate menu item with other language menu items

7c. Screen: Menu items

8. Create “Menu” Module


In Extensions > Module Manager: create new Module of type "Menu"
–

–

Title: Dutch Menu Language: Dutch (NL) Select Menu: Dutch Menu Title: English Menu Language: English (UK) Select Menu: English Menu Title: Afrikaans Menu Language: Afrikaans (AF) Select Menu: Afrikaans Menu

8. Screen: Create “Menu” Module

9. Create “Language Switcher” Module


In Extensions > Module Manager: create new Module of type "Language Switcher"
– – – –

Title: Language Switcher Position: position-7 Language: All Use Dropdown (on right): No

9. Screen: “Language Switcher” Module

10. Redirect old incoming links
 Incoming
– –

links for old content?

Old link: /stroopwafels/stroopwafels.html New link: /nl/stroopwafels

 Redirect
–

a couple of old URLs:

A couple of URLs: Components > Redirect

10. Redirect old incoming links

10b. Redirect old incoming links


Redirect a lot of old URLs: – use .htaccess – Redirect 301 /old/relative/URL http://new/absolute/URL  Redirect 301 /stroopwafels/stroopwafels.html http://www.example.com/nl/stroopwafels Method to create 301 Redirects: – Xmap Sitemap on old site to collect old URLs – Browser → View HTML Source – Copy HTML Source to Excel / Open Office Calc – Construct “Redirect” statements



10b. Screen: Redirect old links

Column A: old relative URL Column B: new absolute URL Column C: formula: ="Redirect 301 "&A1&" "&B1

10b. Screen: Redirect old links

Bonus steps :-)

Bonus steps :-)
 11.

Tool for Language status check  12. Using 3rd Party Extensions  13. Language Overrides

11. Tool for Language status check
 Extensions
–

> Module Manager > [Site/Administrator -> select Administrator]
Multilanguage status Admin Module
 This

module shows status of multilanguage parameters.

11. Tool for Language status check
 

Extensions > Language Manager > Content: Dutch (NL) unpublished Menus > Afrikaans Menu: No default “Home”

12. Example 3rd Party Extension, XMap


Sitemap: Xmap
– –

Install XMap, enable "Xmap - Content Plugin" Components > XMap > Create for all 3 menus a sitemap:


Title + Enable + choose Menu

13. Language Overrides

13. Language Overrides
Since Joomla 2.5 – Before 2.5: “Core hack” language files  Extensions > Language Manager > Overrides


13. Language Overrides
 “New”,

e.g. “Read more”

13. Language Overrides
 “Read

more” → “Read much more”

13. Language Overrides
 “Save

& Close”:

13. Language Overrides
 Result:

Conclusion

Points to consider


 

Maintenance time = regular maintenance time x number of languages Installed Languages = System Labels Content Languages = Language of:
– – – –

Categories Articles Menu items Modules Menu associations No Article association



Switch Language A → Language B:
– –

Tools for multilingual sites


Josetta – Matthew Piloghene

Questions?

Questions?
 Sheets

will be available at www.db8.nl

Peter Martin e-mail: info at db8.nl website: www.db8.nl
72

Used Photos
   

EXTRA Warmth - Nicolas Raymond http://www.sxc.hu/photo/971125 Bengali Keyborad - Mohammad Jobaed Adnan http://www.sxc.hu/photo/676844 signs signs - Jason Antony, http://www.sxc.hu/photo/751034 Face - Questions - Bob Smith, http://www.sxc.hu/photo/418215