The Basics, Please - Language and Internationalization

New Community Website

Ordinarily, you'd be at the right spot, but we've recently launched a brand new community website... For the community, by the community.

Yay... Take Me to the Community!

Welcome to the DNN Community Forums, your preferred source of online community support for all things related to DNN.
In order to participate you must be a registered DNNizen

Home All Forums

1/31/2011 4:19 PM

volleronline

Joined: 11/6/2006

Posts: 281

The Basics, Please

I must admit to two feelings in this post:

1. Excitement about learning how to localize a site into 5 different languages, among which are English, Chinese, and Arabic. Sounds cool! Sounds fun! Sounds like hard work! Don't forget French and Vietnamese to round out the 5. :-)

2. A little frustration over the seeming lack of simple, step-by-step instructions, and what seem to be more than one option for going about this process.

So, those feelings noted, I have questions.

-- Is there somewhere online a step-by-step guide as to how to localize a site into multiple languages?
-- Are there commercial modules that are worth their price that might really assist me with this project?

Thanks!

Chad Voller -- MCP, DNN Aficionado
Leapwise Media
View my

1/31/2011 5:03 PM

Sebastian Leupold

www.dnnwerk.de
Joined: 3/8/2004

Posts: 46212

Re: The Basics, Please Modified By Sebastian Leupold on 1/31/2011 5:03:23 PM

Chad, although it always sounds to be the same subject creating a multilingual site, there are many different use cases and requirements, making it more challenging to find the right approach. There are three well experienced solution by DNN Core Team members available: PageLocalization and modules by Apollo-software.nl (Erik van Ballegoij), free EALO (ealo.codeplex.com by Benjamin Hermann & Oliver) and DSLocalizator by Locopon (Mauricio Marquez, dnn.tiendaboliviana.com), and a couple of modules for multilingual content by the same authors, www.dnnwerk.de, and others.

Cheers from Germany,
Sebastian Leupold

Speed up your DNN Websites with TurboDNN

1/31/2011 8:08 PM

volleronline

Joined: 11/6/2006

Posts: 281

Re: The Basics, Please

Thanks Sebastian.

I have seen most of the items mentioned in your reply, and have at least installed some of the modules mentioned, too.

But I'm wondering if anyone actually has documentation that reads like instructions.

-- Step 1: Enable Portal Localization
-- Step 2: Download and install desired language packs at this link
-- Step 3: Get yourself some EALO stuff and these modules
-- Step 4: To start inputing content in your new languages, do this
-- Step 5: To make sure your skin works with your ML site and content, do this...

There doesn't seem to be anything out there giving guidance.

Chad Voller -- MCP, DNN Aficionado
Leapwise Media
View my

1/31/2011 8:19 PM

volleronline

Joined: 11/6/2006

Posts: 281

Re: The Basics, Please

I do appreciate any replies, Sebastian, I'm not meaning to sound like a broken record here...

I suppose trial and error IS a good way to learn, but having something that resembles a starting point would be huge.

For instance, let's say I install a language pack, which I hopefully downloaded the correct version from the correct site. I had to figure out today how to register on the French site to gain access to the French language pack.

Oh, there's another question... What is the term "Core language pack?" Is there any other type of language pack? Do other people make viable language packs for me to install on my DotNetNuke 05.06.01 portal?

Once installed, how do I actually ENTER content IN another language? I speak English alone. How do I post content in French, or Chinese, or Arabic?

I suppose I could ask these questions one at a time, and I also suppose they have been asked many times in these forums. And it does appear that the whole content localization thing is rather new to DotNetNuke.

It just seems like I'm trying to get a firm grip on something that is oily and in motion. Like mud wrestling a oiled up rhinoceros or something. You want it to hold still, but it just keeps slipping out of your grasp or threatening to run you over. :-)

Chad Voller -- MCP, DNN Aficionado
Leapwise Media
View my

2/3/2011 11:29 AM

Marc (ម៉ាក) Vanhemelryck (វ៉ាន់ហេមិលរីក)

Joined: 9/22/2006

Posts: 262

Re: The Basics, Please

There are 2 aspects at the creation of a ML site: the static text (the menues, the labels on the settings page, the copyright, "read more" etc) and the contents.Before DNN 5.05 all core localization was about localization of the static text in DNN. When you download language packs, this is what you get. The translated resources are stored in resource files together with the controls or modules for which they provide translation.

The core DNN comes with a number of core modules. Translation of those are included in core language packs. Externally developped modules or extensions can have their own translation resources. Those are not included but should be obtained elswhere ore translated using the language page.

Before DNN 5.05, you needed external extensions for content localization. Since DNN 5.05, DNN includes its own content localization solution, which may or may not be fitting for your purpose. The other CL options continue to function, but you have to chose the one or the other, and when you chose for the core CL, there is no turning back. Core CL is being implemented through continous upgrades but by all accounts, it is not yet ready to use in production sites.

The other solutions, which Sebastian mentioned - you will have to look on their sites for instructions, I'm afraid.

____________________________________
The one-eyed in the land of the blind.

Page 1 of 2

These Forums are dedicated to discussion of DNN Platform and Evoq Solutions.

For the benefit of the community and to protect the integrity of the ecosystem, please observe the following posting guidelines:

No Advertising. This includes promotion of commercial and non-commercial products or services which are not directly related to DNN.
No vendor trolling / poaching. If someone posts about a vendor issue, allow the vendor or other customers to respond. Any post that looks like trolling / poaching will be removed.
Discussion or promotion of DNN Platform product releases under a different brand name are strictly prohibited.
No Flaming or Trolling.
No Profanity, Racism, or Prejudice.
Site Moderators have the final word on approving / removing a thread or post or comment.
English language posting only, please.

Products

Solutions

Resources

Partners

Community

Blog

About

QA

Ideas Test

New Community Website

DNN Corp. (DotNetNuke)