Skin language files and translations
Language files can raise your overall skin quality, and if
quality is the word you want connected with your Cotonti skins, then read on!
Skin language files make user's life easier when it comes to localizing their websites.
Instead of hard coding the words (or expressions) in your skin files, use skin language file.
Since all the language strings are placed inside skin language file, changing only one row inside language file will affect every .tpl file where that language string is used.
It's easier than changing the same word over 5, 10, 50 .tpl files, right?
#1. How to create skin language file for your skin?
First, you'll have to create
YOUR-SKIN.LANGUAGE.lang.php file and place it in
skins/YOUR-SKIN folder.
e.g.
sed-light.en.lang.php file is placed in
skins/sed-light folder
Place this code inside
YOUR-SKIN.LANGUAGE.lang.php file
<?PHP
/**
* YOUR-LANGUAGE Language File for YOUR-SKIN-NAME Skin
*
* @package Cotonti
* @version COTONTI VERSION
* @author YOUR NAME
* @copyright YOUR COPYRIGHT
* @license BSD
*/
defined('SED_CODE') or die('Wrong URL.');
?>.
<?PHP
/**
* English Language File for Sed-Light Skin
*
* @package Cotonti
* @version 0.1.0
* @author Cotonti Translators Team
* @copyright Copyright (c) Cotonti Team 2008-2009
* @license BSD
*/
defined('SED_CODE') or die('Wrong URL.');
?>#1.1. Create language strings inside language file
After you created you
YOUR-SKIN.LANGUAGE.lang.php, you can start inserting language strings between:
defined('SED_CODE') or die('Wrong URL.');
and
Language string syntax:
$variable['variable_name] = 'variable_text';
$skinlang['Comment'] = 'Your comment';
#1.2. Inserting the language string inside .TPL file
Your language strings are
«global», meaning that any language string can be used in any .tpl file.
How to insert language string inside .tpl file?
Syntax:
{PHP.variable.variable_name}#2. Translating skin language file
The easiest way is to use the already created skin language file inside
skins/YOUR-SKIN folder.
Copy the content from
YOUR-SKIN.LANGUAGE.lang.php (example:
sed-light.en.lang.php) and paste it inside new file. Name the new file
YOUR-SKIN.OTHERLANGUAGE.lang.php (example:
sed-light.ru.lang.php) and upload it to
skins/YOUR-SKIN
After you created the new file, you can start translating the language strings.
For example;
sed-light.en.lang.php
$skinlang['Comment'] = 'Your comment';
$skinlang['Comment'] = 'Ваш комментарий';
