What I Do

I provide comprehensive guidance for ProcessWire multi-language support:

• Multi-language fields (text, textarea, title)
• Language-alternate fields
• Multi-language URLs and page names
• Code internationalization (i18n)
• Translation functions (__(), _n(), _x())
• Language switching
• Language packs for admin

When to Use Me

Use this skill when:

• Building multi-language websites
• Setting up multi-language fields
• Creating language switchers
• Translating template code strings
• Working with language-specific URLs
• Accessing field values in specific languages

Getting Started

Required Modules

Install from Modules > Language:

Adding Languages

1. Go to Setup > Languages
2. Click "Add New"
3. Enter language name (e.g., "spanish", "german")
4. Save

Multi-Language Fields

Available Field Types

Converting Existing Fields

1. Go to Setup > Fields > [your field]
2. Change Type to multi-language version (e.g., Textarea → TextareaLanguage)
3. Confirm schema change
4. Save

Using Multi-Language Fields

php
1// Output uses current user's language automatically
2echo $page->title;  // Shows title in user's language
3echo $page->body;   // Shows body in user's language
4
5// If language version is empty, default language is used

Getting Specific Language Values

php
1// Save current language
2$savedLanguage = $user->language;
3
4// Switch to French
5$user->language = $languages->get('french');
6echo $page->body;  // French version
7
8// Restore language
9$user->language = $savedLanguage;

Alternative: Using getLanguageValue()

php
1$page->of(false);  // Turn off output formatting
2$french = $languages->get('french');
3$frenchBody = $page->body->getLanguageValue($french);

Setting Language Values

php
1$page->of(false);
2
3// Set for current user's language
4$page->body = "Welcome friends";
5
6// Set for specific language
7$dutch = $languages->get('dutch');
8$spanish = $languages->get('spanish');
9$page->body->setLanguageValue($dutch, "Welkom vrienden");
10$page->body->setLanguageValue($spanish, "Bienvenidos amigos");
11
12$page->save();

Language-Alternate Fields

Separate fields that substitute for each other based on language.

Naming Convention

{fieldname}_{languagename}

Examples:

• body_dutch - Dutch version of body
• summary_spanish - Spanish version of summary

How It Works

php
1// If user language is Dutch and body_dutch exists:
2echo $page->body;  // Returns body_dutch value
3
4// If body_dutch is empty:
5echo $page->body;  // Returns default body value
6
7// Direct access always works:
8echo $page->body_dutch;  // Always returns Dutch version

Setting Values

php
1$page->of(false);
2$page->body = "Welcome friends";           // Default language
3$page->body_dutch = "Welkom vrienden";     // Dutch
4$page->body_spanish = "Bienvenidos amigos"; // Spanish
5$page->save();

Multi-Language URLs

Setup

1. Install LanguageSupportPageNames module
2. Edit homepage > Settings tab
3. Set URL Name for each language (e.g., "en", "es", "de")
4. Check "Active" for each language
5. Save

How It Works

Page Name Translation

Edit any page > Settings tab:

• Set alternative names for each language
• If left blank, default name is used
• Check "Active" to enable language

API Methods

php
1// Get URL in specific language
2$url = $page->localUrl($language);
3
4// Get page name in specific language
5$name = $page->localName($language);
6
7// Get path in specific language
8$path = $page->localPath($language);
9
10// Check if page is viewable in language
11if($page->viewable($language)) {
12    // Page is active in this language
13}

Language Switching

Language Switcher (Links)

php
1<?php
2$savedLanguage = $user->language;
3
4foreach($languages as $language) {
5    // Skip current language
6    if($language->id == $savedLanguage->id) continue;
7
8    // Skip if page not active in this language
9    if(!$page->viewable($language)) continue;
10
11    // Switch to get language-specific URL
12    $user->language = $language;
13
14    echo "<a href='$page->url'>$language->title</a>";
15}
16
17// Restore language
18$user->language = $savedLanguage;
19?>

Language Switcher (Select)

php
1<select onchange="window.location=this.value">
2<?php foreach($languages as $language): ?>
3    <?php if(!$page->viewable($language)) continue; ?>
4    <option
5        value="<?=$page->localUrl($language)?>"
6        <?=$user->language->id == $language->id ? 'selected' : ''?>
7    >
8        <?=$language->title?>
9    </option>
10<?php endforeach; ?>
11</select>

Setting Language Manually

php
1// In _init.php or template
2if($input->get->lang) {
3    $lang = $sanitizer->pageName($input->get->lang);
4    $language = $languages->get($lang);
5    if($language->id) {
6        $user->language = $language;
7    }
8}

Code Internationalization (i18n)

Translate static text in template files.

Translation Functions

Basic Translation

php
1// Outside class (template files)
2echo __('Welcome to our site');
3
4// Inside class (modules)
5echo $this->_('Welcome to our site');

With Placeholders

php
1// WRONG - variable not translatable
2echo __("Created $count pages");
3
4// RIGHT - use sprintf
5echo sprintf(__('Created %d pages'), $count);
6
7// Multiple placeholders with argument swapping
8echo sprintf(
9    __('Your city is %1$s, and your zip is %2$s.'),
10    $city,
11    $zipcode
12);

Plurals

php
1echo sprintf(
2    _n('Created %d page', 'Created %d pages', $count),
3    $count
4);
5
6// In class
7echo sprintf(
8    $this->_n('Created %d page', 'Created %d pages', $count),
9    $count
10);

Context

When same word has different meanings:

php
1// As a noun
2echo _x('Comment', 'noun');
3
4// As a verb
5echo _x('Comment', 'verb');
6
7// In class
8echo $this->_x('Post', 'noun');
9echo $this->_x('Post', 'verb');

Comments for Translators

php
1// Comment appears to translator
2echo __('g:i:s a'); // Date format in PHP date() format
3
4// With notes (secondary comment)
5echo __('Welcome Guest'); // Headline // Keep it short

Translation Rules

1. One line: Function call must be on single line
2. One pair of quotes: No string concatenation inside function
3. One call per line: Only one translation function per line

php
1// WRONG
2echo __('Hello ' . 'World');  // Concatenation
3echo __('Hello') . __('World');  // Two calls per line
4
5// RIGHT
6echo __('Hello World');
7echo __('Hello') . ' ' .
8     __('World');  // Separate lines OK

Translating Template Files

Setup Translation

1. Go to Setup > Languages > [language]
2. Click "Translate File"
3. Select your template file
4. Enter translations for each string
5. Save

Finding Translatable Files

ProcessWire scans for __() calls in:

• /site/templates/*.php
• Module files
• Core files

Common Patterns

Multi-Language Navigation

php
1<?php foreach($pages->get('/')->children as $item): ?>
2    <a href="<?=$item->url?>"><?=$item->title?></a>
3<?php endforeach; ?>

Title and URL automatically use current language.

Multi-Language Search

php
1$q = $sanitizer->selectorValue($input->get->q);
2$results = $pages->find("title|body~=$q");

Searches current language AND default language.

Check Language Availability

php
1// Check if content exists in current language
2$french = $languages->get('french');
3$page->of(false);
4$frenchTitle = $page->title->getLanguageValue($french);
5
6if($frenchTitle) {
7    echo "French version available";
8}

Redirect to User's Browser Language

php
1// In _init.php (only for homepage)
2if($page->id == 1 && !$session->get('lang_set')) {
3    $browserLang = substr($_SERVER['HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE'], 0, 2);
4    $language = $languages->get($browserLang);
5
6    if($language->id && $language->id != $languages->getDefault()->id) {
7        $session->set('lang_set', 1);
8        $session->redirect($page->localUrl($language));
9    }
10    $session->set('lang_set', 1);
11}

Hreflang Tags for SEO

php
1<head>
2<?php foreach($languages as $language): ?>
3    <?php if(!$page->viewable($language)) continue; ?>
4    <link rel="alternate"
5          hreflang="<?=$language->name?>"
6          href="<?=$page->localHttpUrl($language)?>">
7<?php endforeach; ?>
8</head>

Language Permissions

Control who can edit which languages.

Available Permissions

Setup Translator Role

1. Create permission page-edit-lang-spanish
2. Create role "translator-spanish"
3. Assign permissions:
   • page-edit
   • page-edit-lang-spanish
4. Assign role to templates user should translate

Admin Language Packs

Installing Language Packs

1. Download language pack from ProcessWire site
2. Go to Setup > Languages > [language]
3. Upload pack files
4. Save

Finding Language Packs

Community language packs available at:

• ProcessWire modules directory
• ProcessWire forums

Pitfalls / Gotchas

1. Output formatting matters: Language substitution only works with output formatting ON. Use getLanguageValue() when OFF.

2. Empty values fallback: If language value is empty, default language is returned automatically.

3. URL language detection: With LanguageSupportPageNames, language is auto-detected from URL - no manual setting needed.

4. Translation function rules:

   • One call per line
   • No string concatenation inside __()
   • Use sprintf for variables

5. Page active in language: Pages must have "Active" checked for each language in Settings tab.

6. Searching multi-language fields: Searches match current language OR default language.

7. Homepage URL: Default language homepage is always /, regardless of name setting.

8. Module translations: Use $this->_() inside classes for better performance.

9. Context translations: Use _x() when same text appears multiple times with different meanings.

10. Language names: Use simple names like "spanish", "german" - they become field suffixes.