Setup for Localization

[Mealtog]

ok, we are starting a new Genesis powered website and using the Metro theme. The website will be in Langauge #1 (not English). We will want English (and other) versions of each page in the future. This is how it looks now:

http://www.domain.com (Language #1)

We will want something like this in the future

http://www.domain.com/eng/
wwwdomain.com/languagetwo/

I should add, the backend of WP will be in English. The content is the only

1. What is required to be set up now so we can consider this when the time is right to translate content?
2. Will each post have multiple language fields so we can translate the nodes on the same edit page?
3. btw, how do we edit things so the Post Comment button will be in the correct language based on what language type (post) the user is reading?

Still trying to figure out how this works. Any tips would be much appreciated.

[Gary Jones]

Easiest is to create a subfolder multisite setup (see the WP Codex for instructions on how to do this), then create a site for each language you want to support. There are various other plugins that can then take this multisite setup, and make it easy to recreate entries in other sites, or easily switch between corresponding entries etc.

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WordPress Engineer, and key contributor the Genesis Framework | @GaryJ

[mmjaeger]

@Garyl

Would you mind recommending any of the plugins you have in mind?

Even setting up the site (front-end) in one language while keeping WP admin in English seems to be a struggle.

[Mealtog]

Hey Gary, sounds like a great way to get this done. And yes, can you recommend some plugins that I should research and test?

[Gary Jones]

I've asked David Decker (@deckerweb) to come and give his recommendations, since he's the one who suggested them to me!

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WordPress Engineer, and key contributor the Genesis Framework | @GaryJ

[David Decker]

Hi there!

There are some plugins that make multilingual sites with Multisite setups a bit easier.

Mutlsite Language Switcher:

Multisite Language Switcher

--> has the basic stuff, should work really easy

Multilingual Press:

MultilingualPress

---> makes switching between the content editors in admin a bit easier
---> has also a language switcher...
see screenshots: http://wordpress.org/plugins/multilingual-press/screenshots/
they also have a pro version which makes some stuff even easier...

I would not run both plugins together -- that should work, though -- I just would take one or the other.

Plugins for language of admin:
WP Native Dashboard
http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-native-dashboard/
---> Pretty good, also works on a per user basis with different languages if you have a editorial team

User Language Switch:

User Language Switch

---> A really new plugin, basic functionality, in my first test, all did work.
---> global setting for which language is used in frondend and/or backend

NOTE: These plugins for the admin especially use the WPLANG constant setting - or pretty much "clone" its behavior.
Also, you need then the proper language packs installed in your WP_LANG_DIR, which is normally located at: /wp-content/languages/

For example:
You want 3 languages, German, English, French. Then German & French lang packs for WordPress itself have to be in this WP_LANG_DIR (English is default, so has no extra lang pack)

This applies also for plugins and themes. So you would need Genesis lang packs for German and French. And also for all plugins where you'll need translated strings for frontend and/or backend.

I know this may sound pretty complex - it is not in the end.
Just go step by step. Setup structure, sub sites in Multisite, setup one of the lang switchers or multlingual helper plugins.

In the end you can setup the backend/frontend languages with the helper plugins for your editors if needed.

Makes some sense?

Hope it helps a bit, Dave 🙂

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Twitter @deckerweb // Google+ // My Genesis & WordPress Plugins // German Translations for Genesis

[Mealtog]

ok, thanks for all the feedback so far Gary and David. When I want localization, I am only looking to change the languag on teh published content and not the WordPress admin interface. All writers can read English. I want to display different languages for all the front end content. We have translators so what is a good set up for this? Still exploring all situations since this will be my firs international set up.

Thanks very much!

[Gary Jones]

Multilingual Press, and Babble would be good starting points.

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WordPress Engineer, and key contributor the Genesis Framework | @GaryJ

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