Working with Multiple Languages in EPiServer
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Product version: |
4.61 |
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Document version: |
1.0 |
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Document creation date: |
07-06-2006 |
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Document last saved: |
13-11-2006 |
Purpose
EPiServer's support for multilingual Web sites (multi-language) has been rewritten in version 4.60 to improve and stabilize functionality for EPiServer editors. This document should be read by those who have previous experience of working with EPiServer's multi-language functionality in versions 4.30 – 4.51, but may also be of interest to new globalization users.
Table of Contents
Introduction
- Who Should Read this Document and Why?
Converting a Multi-Language Database
Glossary
Multi-Language Support – Version 2
- What's Different in Version 2?
Enabling Globalization Support
Adding New Languages to a Globalized Web Site
Changes to the EPiServer Graphical User Interface (GUI)
- Edit Mode – Language Drop-Down List
- Edit Mode – Compare Languages
- Edit Mode – Tree Structure
- Edit Mode – Language Overview
- Edit Mode – Page Languages
- Edit Mode – Language Settings
- Admin Mode – System Settings
- Admin Mode – Edit Language Codes
- Admin Mode – Manage Web Site Languages
- Admin Mode – Page Types
Further References
Introduction
EPiServer has supported the creation of multilingual Web sites, with the multi-language functionality, since version 4.30. This functionality was improved and partially rewritten in EPiServer 4.60.
This document explains and outlines the differences between EPiServer's multi-language functionality in 4.60 / 4.61 and previous versions. The "old" multi-language functionality is referred to in this document as version 1 and the new functionality as version 2.
EPiServer's multi-language support was rewritten in version 4.60 to improve and stabilize functionality for EPiServer editors. The enhancements make it easier for EPiServer editors to create globalized Web sites. The changes, however, mean a change in the way those that are already familiar with EPiServer's multi-language functionality work.
This document should be read by all those who have experience of working with EPiServer's multi-language functionality in versions 4.30 – 4.51. Information about how to create globalized Web sites can also be found in the EPiServer Editor Manual.
For further technical information on EPiServer's globalization support, please refer to the technical note, "Globalization".
Please contact EPiServer support (episerver4@support.ep.se) for information on converting a multi-language database from EPiServer 4.30-4.51.
This glossary explains what is meant by certain terms used when explaining and describing EPiServer's globalization support. The following terms are used throughout the documentation.
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Term |
Definition |
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language |
A language is:
1. a linguistic language, e.g. English, Spanish, Dutch, Catalan
2. a variation of a linguistic language, e.g. English sign language, Spanish sign language, easy-to-read.
3. the vocabulary and phraseology belonging to a certain target group, i.e. the Spanish or German market. |
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globalized Web site |
A globalized Web site can be:
1. multilingual with the same content
a Web site that mirrors an original language, i.e. identical content translated into several languages;
2. multilingual and adapted to international markets
a Web site that contains different content depending on the language. These Web sites are normally aimed at separate markets. For example, the Spanish Web site contains content that applies to the Spanish market and the German Web site contains content concerning the German market;
3. monolingual and adapted to different target groups
a Web site that contains different content in the same language, targeted at different target groups. For example, a government Web site that contains content both in sign language and in a language that is easy-to-read. |
Version 1 of EPiServer's globalization support (multi-language) caused problems for both EPiServer editors and developers. It was not particularly easy to edit multi-language pages and it was slightly unpredictable how all the languages worked together and affected one another. Version 1 was also not adequately integrated in the interface and had technical limitations, such as searching, simple address, etc.
In version 2, the support for globalized Web sites has been upgraded from a sort of "add-on" to an integral part of the system. Unlike version 1, all EPiServer pages can exist in multiple languages, irrespective of the page type they are based upon – they no longer have to be based on the multi-language page type. Editing a page with multiple languages in version 2 does not differ from editing a page that exists in a single language.
In version 1, languages always shared the same metadata so that it was only possible to have, for example, one simple address and one publish date. This has been changed in version 2 so that all languages have their own metadata. This means, among other things, that all page languages can have their own simple addresses, e.g. http://www.mysite.com/products and http://www.mysite.com/produkter for the same page in different languages.
Common Property Data and Language Property Data
One of the goals of version 2 was to make it easier to edit and create both common property data and language property data. In version 1, every language had its own version list; even the common properties had their own version list separate from the languages. So, for example when creating a new page with required common properties, you had to create one version of the common properties and one version of your language and then publish them both. This has been redesigned in version 2 to migrate common properties and one of the languages to an Original language which is always the language created first.
Original Language
The original language holds the common properties and the original language. The original language is always the first language that the page is created in.
Unique Value per Language
When the "Unique value per language" check box is selected for a page type property in Admin mode, the value stated for that property in the original language will no longer be common for all languages. For example, if the "Unique value per language" check box is selected for the MainIntro property, the Introduction field will be unique (and therefore editable) for all languages.
When the "Unique value per language" check box is unselected for a property, a warning appears that any values that have been changed in non-original languages will be deleted.
The example below shows when the value is not unique per language.
The example below shows when the value is unique per language.
Language Settings for Part of a Web Site
It is possible to set the language(s) that part of the site will be created in / displayed in. This is done by right-clicking the branch in the tree structure and selecting Language Settings.
1. Select the languages that the branch should be available in.
This functionality can be used, for example, if you want the "Products" branch of your Web site to be available in all the European languages, and the "News" branch of your Web site to only be available in English and Swedish. The languages that are selected here will affect the Language Overview dialog for the selected pages.
2. Select language to replace another language
This functionality can be used to "push" a language onto a Web site. For example, if you want the Support branch of your Web site to be available for all visitor languages, but always shown in English.
3. Select fallback language
The fallback language is used when a page is not available in a certain language. The fallback language inserts another page language in its place. This can be configured for all the available languages.
Metadata
Metadata affecting content such as page name, simple address, status, etc. will be stored on all languages. Metadata affecting the page in navigation, such as Visible in menu and Sort index will be common to all page languages and editable via the original language.
Dynamic Properties
Dynamic properties can also be made available per language. This should, however, be used with caution as over usage of dynamic properties is not recommended as it may negatively affect performance. Only use dynamic properties for administrative settings that must be done per language.
Follow the instructions below to enable globalization support on a monolingual Web site.
1. If globalization is not currently enabled for the Web site, go to System Settings under Admin mode and select the Enable globalization check box.
2. Go to Manage Web Site Languages and change the name of the default language by clicking Default in the Name column and changing the name. Assign an optional icon that will appear in the drop-down lists. Assign a default langauge at the top of the page.
3. Add and enable any other languages that you want to have available on the Web site by following the instructions in the next chapter.
4. Set the "available languages" for the site by selecting a branch in the tree structure in Edit mode and selecting "Language Settings", as described in step 3 below.
Follow the instructions below to add new languages to a globalized Web site.
1. Click Edit Language Codes in Admin mode and add the new language that you want to make available. Click Manage Web Site Languages in Admin mode and add the new language as a Web site language. Make sure that the Enabled check box is selected. Assign a default language at the top of the Manage Web Site Languages page.
2. Go to Edit mode. The drop-down list under the tree structure will include your new language, but you will not be able to create pages in your new language until you have assigned the new language as an "available language".
3. Select the tree branch that you want to be available in your new language, for example if you want the new language to be available for the entire Web site, select the start page. Right-click and select Language Settings, or click the Language Settings icon in the toolbar. In the Available languages area, click Change. Select the check box for your new language and click Save. It will now be possible to create a new variation of pages in your new language.
Note that language XML files must also exist if you choose to set the new language as your system language
There are many changes to the EPiServer GUI regarding multi-language. The main changes are listed below.
In version 1, all page languages had their own tabs in Edit mode, and the common properties for all the languages were displayed on the "Common" tab. When you clicked a language tab, both the "View" and "Version List" tabs reflected the selected language.
The language tabs have been removed in version 2 and you switch between different languages for a page by either using the drop-down list at the top of the edit pane or by opening the Page Languages view in the Action Window.
The Translate and Compare Languages tabs that were available in version 1 have been replaced by functionality in the drop-down lists at the top of the Edit pane. It is possible to display two languages that exist for a page, which can be particularly useful if you are for example translating and wish to have access to both the page you are translating to and from.
The example below shows Edit mode when you want to translate a page called "New Page" into Swedish and at the same time have access to the page in English (US). The View window will also display both of the selected languages for the page.
The "compare" functionality can also be used to compare a working version of a page with a previously published variation of a page in the same language.
The tree structure contains a drop-down list, which enables you to see which pages are available in another language. When the language is changed in the drop-down list, the tree structure is updated to graphically reflect the pages that are available in that language. Any pages that are not available in the selected language are marked in italic text and are followed by an information icon with the ToolTip that the page is missing for the current language. The image below displays that only one page on the Web site is available in Swedish, the "Tips och Trix" page.
When you create a new page, the original language is defaulted to the language shown in the drop-down list in the tree structure. It is however possible to create the page in another language by simply changing the language in the drop-down list at the top of the Edit window. The default language for a new page is set to the original language so that the common properties can be set when a new page is created.
It is easy to get an overview of the pages in the tree structure that are available in different languages by right-clicking the page in the tree structure and selecting Language Overview or from the toolbar button. The Language Overview window displays the language status for the selected page and any sub-pages. It is also possible to create the page in a new language from Language Overview by clicking Create.
Information on the languages that a certain page is available in can be found in the Page Languages view in the Action Window. This view is opened either by:
- right-clicking on the page in the tree structure and selecting Page Languages;
- opening the Action Window and selecting Page Languages;
- clicking the Page Languages toolbar button.
The Page Languages view contains the following information about a page:
- Page status, i.e. published, not published, etc.
- When the page was created and most recently published and by whom.
It is also possible to create the page in a new language from this view by clicking Create, which opens "Creating Page in a New Language".
Use this setting to select which languages parts of the site should be available in. For example, if you want the entire site to only be available in certain languages, you can change the language settings for the site root. It is also possible to allow another part of the site to be available in other languages.
Replacement Languages
Use this setting to display pages in part of the Web site in a language other than that the visitor has selected. Pages that are not available in these languages can be displayed in another language. This setting could be used, for example, when general information in a specific language should be available to all visitors irrespective of which language has been selected.
Fallback Languages
Use this setting to display pages in part of the Web site in a language other than that the visitor has selected. This means that pages that have not yet been translated and published in the selected language can instead be temporarily displayed in another language. Note that this setting may cause mixed languages in navigation and listings.
To change a monolingual Web Site into a globalized Web site, select the Enable globalization check box in the System Settings window.
Any new languages that are to be available in EPiServer are set up in Edit Language Codes in Admin mode (previously Edit Languages). Languages to be used in globalized Web site must exist here before opening Manage Web Site Languages.
Any languages that have been set up in Edit Language Codes can also be configured to be used in globalized Web sites by clicking Manage Web Site Languages in Admin mode. Here you can set up which languages should be enabled. It is also possible to define an icon that you would like to be available in the drop-down lists, and other tabs that include reference to the languages used in the Web site.
Remember that language does not necessarily have to refer to a linguistic language as for the two languages defined in the image below.
The Manage Web Site Languages page also contains a field that makes it possible for you to configure the language displayed in the URL. Pages by default use the language code, but this can be changed by entering a different value in the Web address prefix field. In the example below, this would change the Swedish home page of a site from www.mysite.com/sv to /www.mysite.com/sverige.
All page types are multi-language by default; the multi-language template is no longer available in EPiServer 4.61.
Metadata affecting content such as page name, simple address, status, etc. is stored on all languages. Metadata affecting the page in navigation, such as Visible in menu and Sort index will be common to all page languages and editable via the original language.
All properties are available for the original language, but in order for some fields to be available, and therefore editable, for other languages, this must be defined in the specific page type. For example, if you want the Editor to be available for all languages in the Ordinary Web page, edit the MainBody property in the Ordinary Web page and select the "Unique value per language" check box.
When the "Unique value per language" check box is unselected for a property, a warning appears that any values that have been changed in non-original languages will be deleted.
For further technical information on EPiServer's globalization support, please refer to the technical note, "Globalization".