Adding a content language #

This page is for administrators who add a language editors can write content in, for example a second official language. The steps and messages come from Content languages, section 4.

Contents #

1. Before you start
2. Add the language
3. A language that is not in the list
4. What adding does not do
5. Next steps

Before you start #

• You need the policy content/translations (administrators have it).
• Decide the locale code: three letters for the language, a dash, two for the country, such as fre-CA, esl-MX (Spanish is esl in Exponential's codes) or cym-GB. The full list with native names is in Languages in Exponential.

Add the language #

1. Open Setup > Languages (/content/translations) and press Add language.
2. Under Language and country, type part of the name, the code or the country into Find a language; the list narrows as you type. Without JavaScript the list is a plain list box sorted by name.
3. Choose the entry, for example German (Austria) · Deutsch (Österreich) · ger-AT, and press Add language.

The overview shows the message that the language was added, and a new card that says it is not used yet and in no SiteLanguageList. The language gets the next free bit; the content view cache is cleared.

A language that is not in the list #

Choose Custom at the top of the list and fill in Name of custom translation and Locale for custom translation (xxx-YY). A file share/locale/<code>.ini must exist for that code, because the locale also decides how dates and numbers are written; copy the nearest locale file to the new name and adjust it first (see "Custom locales for unlisted languages").

What adding does not do #

It translates nothing and changes no siteaccess: no visitor sees anything new yet.

Next steps #

1. Give the language a siteaccess, or add it to an existing one's SiteLanguageList[] (see "A siteaccess per language").
2. Give translators a role limited to the language (see "Translator roles and permissions").
3. Translate the front page and the main menu first (see "Translating an item step by step").
4. Mark shared items always available (see "Always available content").

Related pages #

• Content languages
• Building a multilingual site
• Languages in Exponential
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.