Hate to dig up a very old thread... language switching. Something I need and I think many sites could use. This thread mentions languageonthefly which is what I use. It is an old but simple module. The one line hack to common.php needs new instructions for the current xoops. It would be nice to get this module officialy updated if the devels are still around. I figured it out but many users could get stuck.

On a low traffic site I have I use the ML language hack and that works very well but is a pain on a large site that needs other hacks or core updates (thanks for keeping it updated, it was a smooth upgrade). Caching is a big issue with most language flipping techniques.

I am happy with just switching the backend language which is mostly the navigation.

Earlier I see: Quote: I disagree, easy navigation makes a big difference. Content can be organized to deal with multiple languages. For just the forums it is fine since the posters are writing in thier language anyway.

Until the core has good multi-language functions like the ML hack I'm happy with a one line hack that gives me the most important aspects.

In fact I vote that someone consider putting the simple languageonthefly type of functionality in the core. Or did I miss it? Anyway, the basics are working for me. And it might tie in nicely with other cross border/cultural issues being discussed around here.

I am currently working on a module/hack to change the site language. I'm aiming to have the first beta version ready by this weekend.

This first version is just for testing purposes, definitely won't be ready for a production site at first. I'd be very grateful for any help you can give with testing it

I don't know what this languageonthefly is that you mention, but from the description it sounds like you'd like what I'm working on. This is a module, with an admin side where you set which languages are available on your site, and the ability to set block titles, module names, site name and slogan in each of the chosen languages. It is also unfortunately a hack, in that the common.php file will need a slight change.

If you're interested in helping with the testing I'll let you know when it's ready

Rowd

I am interested for sure... minor hacks are not a problem. This sounds like it goes a step beyond simple language selection but doesn't involve heavy core hacking. I like the sound of it.

Further up the thread is a link to languageonthefly which is also listed in the downloads somewhere. You might get some ideas from it if you need them.

By going that extra step and dealing with the features you mention it will be an excellent module idea.

Don't forget to look at the caching issues. That is one thing that keeps me from trying to go too far with language. Even now with what I'm using there are slight issues with certain text that will stay in the cache while much of it is just fine. I want to use some caching where appropriate.

Keep me informed! I'm dealing with Latin based languages so I won't have charset issues, that can be dealt with later. English, French, and Spanish are my main needs for now.

Hello! You need to take a quick trip over to The Smart Factory as Marcan has done an excelent job already of combining all those hacks into one place for everyone. If you apply his hack your site will be multilingual and you will be able to switch the language of the interface and content as well. It is not a perfect solution, but it works.

I'm familiar with that hack and am using it on another site as already mentioned. It works great but isn't practical yet for a busy site that could make use of the cache. The hack prevents much of the caching from being useful. I am pleased that it is kept up to date with the XOOPS versions since it would quickly become a nightmare if it wasn't.

I'm looking for something less core intrusive. Besides, I would get stuck with doing all the translations and that isn't a treat for the main content. If the user doesn't contribute in their language then I don't worry. Navigation and titles are the first priority and almost enough when dealing with forums.