multilingual site - another idea - help needed

[labra]

Dear all -

I need a multilingual OR site (using the language files that come with the distro). I'm trying to develop the optimum solution strategy for this, and need your advice.

As I am not a programmer, the most obvious solution would be as follows:

1. Create a separate installation of OR for each language;
2. link them all to the same single database
3. create the main page (index.htm in the root dir) that would contain nothing but the links to these separate monolingual sites (probably in graphic form to make sure no encoding problems occur).

Voila!

The problem with this approach is that I would have to make a number of changes in the layout: get rid of every item that requires language-specific input. For example, the Title in the Add Listing form.

I've tried to comment it out - this caused an unpleasant error: the new listings would not save.

SO: Question #1 - how can I weed these items out? I mean Title, Notes and MLS Import. I also need to get rid of the photo option - no photos and no photo column that eats space.


OK, I can see another approach to creating a multilingual site: in the common.php file, there is a line

//LANGUAGE FILE PATH -- USED FOR MULTI-LANGUAGE SUPPORT
include($config['basepath'].'/include/language/english.php');

I would place a language menu at the top of the default home page, and replace the word "english" in common.php with a variable (no idea how - I'm not a programmer; I only realize that English has still to be marked as a default!). Once the language (other than English) is selected, the site simply reloads using the language file corresponding to the selected language.

DO I make sense to you guys?

This would still take some tweaking as regards layout to make sure there are no language clashes (e.g., buttons - I'd rather replace pix buttons with text which would then also reload language-specifically - no idea how to).


SO: Question #2 - is this approach any easier than the one above?

Question #3: how do I tackle this task, in either case?

Question #4: is this the kind of task I can leverage by using your help here (a line here, a line there...) - or should I stop fooling myself and go straight to posting this as a quotation request so that someone would do it for pay?

All input will be greatly appreciated.

L

[ian_ok]

Have a read of this thread....I'm just implementing it.

Link

Ian

[awddesign]

Hi

go to the mod section as there is a mod for this.
Also do a search as there are many articals about this here..

I will update the demo site at (ore) I am working on for a client and you can see
the mod working.

Note: the spanish lang file is not 100% .. this will need looking into..

Al

[Fat Lizard]

Your first idea is going to be tedious and error-prone, and a nightmare to keep up-to-date.

Try the MOD that's mentioned here, as if it works it's the easiest.

I use the same approach, and can load a language file with the following:

include_once(_CLASSES_DIR_ . 'class.language.php');
$lang = new Language($conn, $curSet);
include_once($lang->getLanguage()); 

This one tries to determine if the user has a preferred langauge (via DB).
If not, it then attempts to load the language based upon the browser envirnment.
Still no luck? Then assign the default language.

Much easier and smoother than trying to have multiple language versions of your site.

Unfortunately, mine isn't plug 'n play compatible with OR, but hopefully illustrates that there's no real comparison with the two options, and any effort you put into get the MOD working will be worth it.

FL

[awddesign]

Hi
Here is the demo site at ore we are working on:

http://ore.awddesign.co.uk/demo/2/

link at top of all pages:
Language >> english || spanish

we are still workingon it.. at the moment trying to get finished
our ore site with the TemplateMonster (TM) to Open Realty designs done.

Al

[labra]

hi Al!

what you're currently doing looks very promising. Will you show us the changes when you're done?

L

[awddesign]

Hi

How about if you update the spanish language file to be the same as the english language file and post it here or in the mod section.

Other wise I will have to charge a small fee

Al

hi Al!

what you're currently doing looks very promising. Will you show us the changes when you're done?

L

[awddesign]

Hi

Update with the changer:

main page / index.php now changes when you click to change the Language.

cool it's working

Al