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Multi Language App

in Using jQuery • 12 years ago

I am currently working on an app which will be translated into several languages. The main core is in PHP and obviously the language files are no trouble.

This is the first time our interface has been making heavy use of javascript and was wondering how you normally deal with additional languages for a large app? I was hoping we could make a separate language file for the js messages / labels etc and load this based upon the user selection, so that we don't have to do this at function level.

Any pointers / examples would be appreciated.

Replies(5)

dragongra..

Re: Multi Language App

12 years ago

One way could be to setup an XML file or files that you could use jquery to parse by using the .ajax function. Then you can just get the values you need when certain events trigger.

Here's a simple tutorial on reading in the XML

http://think2loud.com/reading-xml-with-jquery/

vmichnowi..

Re: Multi Language App

12 years ago

I have never done anything like this before, so this is just a stab in the dark...

Have some PHP like this in the page header:

<?php echo '<script type="text/javascript"> var language = ' . $language . ';</script>';

And then you can have a JS language file like this:

var text = new Array();
// Hello
text['hello']['en-us'] = 'Hello';
text['hello']['es-mx'] = 'Holla';

And then you can use this like so:

alert(text['hello'][language]);

Again, I have no idea if this is the best way to do this. But it seems like it could work.
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Victor Michnowicz
http://www.vmichnowicz.com

Kevin B

Re: Re: Multi Language App

12 years ago

the problem with that is translations usually are not word for word, they may be different based on context. however, generally labels and headers can be translated in this way, just not on a larger scale, such as sentences or phrases.

Edit: sry, the OP was posting about headers and simple phrases used by the JS app. so this method will definitly work. you could just have a different js file for each language that housed an array of translated text like you suggested so that if the site is currently translated in spanish, you wont have this large useless array of english or german translations.

-- Kevin

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