How to create multi-language stores?

1. CREATING MULTI LANGUAGE STORE

Magento allows users to integrate multiple languages.

First, you need to install the language package into Magento, you can get the language package here: http://www.magentocommerce.com/magento-connect/customer-experience/internationalization-localization.html

  • Open the localization pack you need and click the Get Extension Key button. Select the key and copy it.
  • In admin panel, go to System > Magento Connect > Magento Connect Manager
  • Log in Magento Connect Manager by your admin account.
  • Paste the copied extension key into the Paste extension key to install field and click Install button.

– After installing language package successfully, you will create a store view (3.1.3 Create store view) for your language. Single store view per language

– Finally, you need to define the store locale for store view

Go to System > Configuration:

  • In the Current Configuration Scope block select your store view
  • Open General on left menu
  • Open Locale options tab, and select your language in Locale options

– Now, you can find your language package in folder app/etc/locale

After installing new language, you need flush the cache (3.2 Caching System).

– After creating the store views and associating them with the appropriate locale file, you might notice that some text portions of your Magento theme have already been translated in the front end. But your Magento may be not fully translated. This happens because your language package doesn’t localize completely also not correctly. Or our theme modified the default text and added some character strings of own theme. And to translate these character strings, please refer next chapter.

2. INTERFACE TRANSLATION

This user guide introduces two ways to translate character strings of theme.

TRANSLATE IN FILE TRANSLATE.CSV OF THEME:
  • Translate.csv file is located in folder app/design/frontend/em0132/default/locale/en_US/translate.csv , en_US is default language, it is language code of English (United States).
  • This file can be used to translate the interface into other languages. To use this file for other language, please do follow the steps below:
    • Create a new folder for your translation. Example: For French language, it should be app/design/frontend/em0132/default/locale/fr_FR
    • Copy file translate.csv from folder app/design/frontend/em0132/default/locale/en_US and paste it into folder app/design/frontend/em0132/default/locale/fr_FR
    • Open app/design/frontend/em0132/default/locale/fr_FR/translate.csv. We recommend you should use Notepad++ editor to edit this file.

      The editor should be capable to save file in UTF-8 encoding. Do not use Excel, it can break file structure. Read more about useful tools:http://www.magentocommerce.com/wiki/groups/166/useful_tools_to_work_with_translations

    • When you open translate.csv in Notepad ++, it looks like:”Shopping”,”Shopping””Search entire store here…”,”Search”

      “Back To Top”,”Back To Top”

      “Our Blog”,”Our Blog”

      The character strings on the left of commas, they are original character strings. You only edit your translation of each string on the right of commas.

    • Some character strings contains “%s” or “%d”. These entries should be left intact in the translated strings.
TRANSLATE INLINE

This is a feature of Magento, to enable it, go to System > Configuration

  • Drop down the Current Configuration Scope on the top-left, select the store view for translation.
  • Click on Developer on the left menu. In the Developer menu, expand Translate Inline section:
    • Uncheck Use Website box.
    • Set option Enabled for Frontend to Yes.
  • Click on Save Config
  • Enter the front-page, select desired language and you can see all the translatable text areas are now in a red-dotted border, when you hover it the little book icon will apear. Just click on the icon and insert desired text.

To make sure the Inline Translation works properly, do not forget to disable cache (3.2 Caching System).before enabling Translate Inline.

TRANSLATION IN FLEXIBLE BLOCKS

In EM Basetheme, there are many built-in flexible blocks for theme. If you have multi language (multi store view) and you want to translate these flexible blocks, please do follow steps below:

  • Go to EMThemes > EM Manage Blocks, select block which you want to translate.
  • Select store view you want to show this block.
  • In content tab on the left menu, change content in your language.
  • Click Save button.