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Diffstat (limited to 'user_guide_src/source/libraries/language.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | user_guide_src/source/libraries/language.rst | 101 |
1 files changed, 90 insertions, 11 deletions
diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/libraries/language.rst b/user_guide_src/source/libraries/language.rst index 3014d8f09..e833d9757 100644 --- a/user_guide_src/source/libraries/language.rst +++ b/user_guide_src/source/libraries/language.rst @@ -5,16 +5,25 @@ Language Class The Language Class provides functions to retrieve language files and lines of text for purposes of internationalization. -In your CodeIgniter system folder you'll find one called language -containing sets of language files. You can create your own language -files as needed in order to display error and other messages in other -languages. - -Language files are typically stored in your **system/language/** directory. -Alternately you can create a directory called language inside your -application folder and store them there. CodeIgniter will always load the -one in **system/language/** first and will then look for an override in -your **application/language/** directory. +In your CodeIgniter **system** folder, you will find a **language** sub-directory +containing a set of language files for the **english** idiom. +The files in this directory (**system/language/english/**) define the regular messages, +error messages, and other generally output terms or expressions, for the different parts +of the CodeIgniter framework. + +You can create or incorporate your own language files, as needed, in order to provide +application-specific error and other messages, or to provide translations of the core +messages into other languages. These translations or additional messages would go inside +your **application/language/** directory, with separate sub-directories for each idiom +(for instance, 'french' or 'german'). + +The CodeIgniter framework comes with a set of language files for the "english" idiom. +Additional approved translations for different idioms may be found in the +`CodeIgniter 3 Translations repositories <https://github.com/codeigniter3-translations>`_. +Each repository deals with a single idiom. + +When CodeIgniter loads language files, it will load the one in **system/language/** +first and will then look for an override in your **application/language/** directory. .. note:: Each language should be stored in its own folder. For example, the English files are located at: system/language/english @@ -26,6 +35,71 @@ your **application/language/** directory. <div class="custom-index container"></div> +*************************** +Handling Multiple Languages +*************************** + +If you want to support multiple languages in your application, you would provide folders inside +your **application/language/** directory for each of them, and you would specify the default +language in your **application/config/config.php**. + +The **application/language/english/** directory would contain any additional language files +needed by your application, for instance for error messages. + +Each of the other idiom-specific directories would contain the core language files that you +obtained from the translations repositories, or that you translated yourself, as well as +any additional ones needed by your application. + +You would store the language you are currently using, for instance in a session variable. + +Sample Language Files +===================== + +:: + + system/ + language/ + english/ + ... + email_lang.php + form_validation_lang.php + ... + + application/ + language/ + english/ + error_messages_lang.php + french/ + ... + email_lang.php + error_messages_lang.php + form_validation_lang.php + ... + +Example of switching languages +============================== + +:: + + $idiom = $this->session->get_userdata('language'); + $this->lang->load('error_messages', $idiom); + $oops = $this->lang->line('message_key'); + +******************** +Internationalization +******************** + +The Language class in CodeIgniter is meant to provide an easy and lightweight +way to support multiplelanguages in your application. It is not meant to be a +full implementation of what is commonly called `internationalization and localization +<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internationalization_and_localization>`_. + +We use the term "idiom" to refer to a language using its common name, +rather than using any of the international standards, such as "en", "en-US", +or "en-CA-x-ca" for English and some of its variants. + +.. note:: There is nothing to prevent you from using those abbreviations in your application! + ************************ Using the Language Class ************************ @@ -66,6 +140,11 @@ file extension), and language is the language set containing it (ie, english). If the second parameter is missing, the default language set in your **application/config/config.php** file will be used. +You can also load multiple language files at the same time by passing an array of language files as first parameter. +:: + + $this->lang->load(array('filename1', 'filename2')); + .. note:: The *language* parameter can only consist of letters. Fetching a Line of Text @@ -110,7 +189,7 @@ Class Reference .. method:: load($langfile[, $idiom = ''[, $return = FALSE[, $add_suffix = TRUE[, $alt_path = '']]]]) - :param string $langfile: Language file to load + :param mixed $langfile: Language file to load or array with multiple files :param string $idiom: Language name (i.e. 'english') :param bool $return: Whether to return the loaded array of translations :param bool $add_suffix: Whether to add the '_lang' suffix to the language file name |