Translations, what's the best practice?

Squiz Matrix Support
1

Here's something that I'm not too sure how to approach. We run a site that has recently had a full translation into 8 languages. What's the best way of making MySource work with translations? Does anyone have any good implementation examples?

2

For as long as I can remember the way to do different language versions was to build and maintain a site for each language. I would be very interested to see what experiences people have had in implementing sites in multiple languages as opposed to one. I have only had the opportunity to work with multiple versions of one or two pages in a site as the work required to maintain complete site builds in multiple languages in Matrix has always proven too great for anyone I have worked with in Australia.

3

Thanks for that. The only catch with building multiple sites is the ability to move from one language to another while keeping on the same content. As in, on the directions page clicking the Korean flag will take you to the Korean directions page…

4

Yes that is the catch, especially if you have a large site, a lot of languages and constantly changing content. If you have a core of relatively static pages then you can make sure that your sites have the same structure. Then you would be able to create the different links based on the URL of the current page with a language identifier in the site URL. This is not so good if it is likely that the structure could change in one or some of the sites. You could also use tagging to link the pages together and nest a related asset listing in the design to handle the links. This is more reliable for ongoing integrity of the site as it would handle deleted and moved assets but it would introduce performance hit to your site load. Still keen to find out if there is anyone who has solved this in matrix in an elegant way.

5

3.24.0 was released with page context support. This allows you to create multiple versions of a single asset. For example, a page can be in English, French, German etc. You can also use this if you want different content for mobile versions, internal versions of pages, whatever really.


I think the manuals have already been released.

6

That's great! What about the menuing and system generated stuff from locals, is that handled too? Do all asset types get multi versioning, like asset lists custom form and account manager etc. etc? Will have to check out the manuals:)

7

[quote]
That's great! What about the menuing and system generated stuff from locals, is that handled too? Do all asset types get multi versioning, like asset lists custom form and account manager etc. etc? Will have to check out the manuals:)

[/quote]



I asked Luke about this, not all attributes of all assets get an alternate context. I'll have to review the manual myself, but I'm fairly certain it's just basic attributes (name, short name) and things like content areas, and perhaps the possibility of adding more to the mix later on.

8

[quote]
3.24.0 was released with page context support. This allows you to create multiple versions of a single asset. For example, a page can be in English, French, German etc. You can also use this if you want different content for mobile versions, internal versions of pages, whatever really.



I think the manuals have already been released.

[/quote]



Hi Greg,



This is something I am currently working on too. Can you please let me know which manual(s) I need to read for more info about this new function of page context support. A link to the manual will be great!



Thanks!

Tina

9

Sorry guys, the new multi-lingual/multi-context functions for 3.24.0 haven't yet been documented but should be done very soon. The update will be posted in the manuals forum when it is done.

10

Ok, cool. I'm not planning to upgrade anytime soon. We've just come off one with Squiz UK. How has it been done in the 10 years of previous MySource builds?

11

[quote]
Ok, cool. I'm not planning to upgrade anytime soon. We've just come off one with Squiz UK. How has it been done in the 10 years of previous MySource builds?

[/quote]



Separate sites for each, try to share all the designs and paint layouts etc.



A lot of people dont want exactly the same pages in each site, so will continue to do this.



examples are



http://www.clearswift.com/

http://www.clearswift.com/jp



But if you want to maintain the same page structure the new system should be more flexible.

12

Thanks Justin. Curious as to why some people wouldn't want to keep structure? If you land on say http://www.clearswift.com/fr/nouvelles/communiques-de-presse and move to EN I would personally expect to go to http://www.clearswift.com/news/press-releases not to the homepage. It's like landing on a page and getting redirected back to the mobile version of a website…


I'm thinking a little JS might solve the problem alongside a few sub-domains.

13

Because the pages in each language have no "linking" to each other. If you like the page stay in the context but switch to another language, it seems to have to use the method of ?SQ_DESIGN_NAME=xxx, in that way the content will be stored in metadata WYSIWYG field rather than the content div.We have multi-lang sites but they are separate, the above idea is too crazy to implement.:lol: Just a thought.


Edit: added "each"

14

I'm going down the path less traveled with this one then, with the team kicking and screaming! :slight_smile:

15

[quote]
I’m going down the path less traveled with this one then, with the team kicking and screaming! :slight_smile:

[/quote]



You should thank your lucky stars that you HAVE a webteam. :)’ /> I have to fly solo. <img src=‘http://forums.matrix.squiz.net/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif’ class=‘bbc_emoticon’ alt=’:frowning:

16

I do thank my lucky stars. I'm hoping to expand sometime in the next year. More MySource geeks that is…


EDIT: I cannot spell.