Multi language Joomla site without 3rd-party-extensions

by Peter Martin (“pe7er”)

twitter: @pe7er

website: www.db8.nl

JoomlaDay Bangkok 2012February 25th 2012

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Welcome!

Peter Martin (“pe7er”), Nijmegen, Netherlands

Sheets will be available electronically Thai examples → used Google Translate

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My fictional Dutch website

Subject: Dutch website about Dutch cookies: “Stroopwafels”– Google Analytics:

many non-Dutch visitors

Goal:– Multilanguage website– Three languages: Dutch + English + Thai– Keep old hyperlinks to website (prevent 404 errors)

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How to create

a Multilanguage website

With Joomla 2.5

in 10 steps?

Joomla! 2.5

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

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

1. Install Language pack

In Extensions > Extension Manager > install language pack– Default = en-GB– Install: nl-NL + th-TH

Alternative installation: – Upload language folder to right locations & use

Extensions > Discover > install

1. Screen: Install Language pack

1. Screen: Installed Languages

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

2. Content Language

Create “Content Language”– In Extensions > Language Manager > Content– For every language create a "content language"

Title: Thai (Th)Title Native: ภาษาไทย (Th)URL Language Code: th Image Prefix: thLanguage Tag: th-TH

2. Screen: Content Language

2. Screen: Content Languages

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

3. Enable “System - Language Filter” plugin

In Extensions > Plug-in Manager– "System - Language Filter"

Status: EnabledMenu associations: YesRemove URL Language Code: Yes (For SEO)

3. Screen:“System - Language Filter” plugin

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

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]

– Thai Title: Thai Language: Thai (Th) [select content language]

4. Screen: Create Language Categories

4b. Create Language Categories

Create subcategories under the language categories– Nederlands (= Dutch)

Nieuws Stroopwafels

– English News Stroopwaffles

– Thai ข่าว Stroopwafels (no Thai translation?)

4. Screen: Create Language Categories

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

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

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

Set Language Select Category for Move/Copy CopyClick [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 languages like Thai: Year-Month-Day-Hours-Minutes-Seconds

Alternative: use English AliasOr Global Configuration > Site > SEO

Settings > Unicode Aliases: Yes

5c. Screen: Create Articles

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. 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: Thai Menu, Menu Type: thaimenu

Do not change “Main Menu”

6. Screen: Create Menu

6. Screen: Create Menu

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

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

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

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 MenuLanguage: English (UK)Select Menu: English Menu

– Title: Thai MenuLanguage: Thai (TH)Select Menu: Thai Menu

8. Screen: Create “Menu” Module

8. Screen: Create “Menu” Module

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

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

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

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

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

Tool to collect old URLs:– Xmap Sitemap on old site– Browser → View HTML Source– Copy to Excel / Open Office Calc– Construct “Redirect” statements

10b. Screen: Redirect old links

10b. Screen: Redirect old links

10b. Screen: Redirect old links

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

10b. Screen: Redirect old links

Bonus steps :-)

Tool for Language status check Using 3rd Party Extensions

Tool for Language status check

Extensions > Module Manager > [Site/Administrator -> select Administrator]– Multilanguage status Admin Module

This module shows status of multilanguage parameters.

Tool for Language status check

Extensions > Language Manager > Content: Dutch (NL) unpublished

Menus > English Menu: No default “Home”

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

Example 3rd Party Extension, XMap

In Dutch/English/Thai menu, create Xmap Menu Item:

– Menu Item Type: [HTML Site map]

– Menu Title: ไทยปไซต์

– Menu Location: [Thai Menu]

– Language: [Thai (Th)]

– Choose a site map: [Thai]

Don't forget “Menu Item Association”!

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Questions?

Presentation: – Peter Martin (pe7er)– twitter: @pe7er– e-mail: info at db8.nl– website: www.db8.nl