How to Best Implement Multilingual Websites?

Best Practices for Implementing Multi-Language Websites

Translating Content

• Database-Driven: Store translations in a database table, enabling easy management through the CMS. Consider structuring the data as Controller.View.Parameter, with a value field containing the translated text.
• Caching: Utilize a caching system to improve performance by pre-rendering language files upon editing. Store these files in a file system layout that aligns with the database structure, e.g., languages/en_EN/Controller/View.php.

Translating Database Tables

Avoid creating separate tables for translations. Instead, consider using the data versioning technique, where a single Translations table stores a unique combination of language, tablename, and primarykey. While this table can become large, it provides a straightforward way to create translatable content.

Front-End Considerations

• Display available languages as a dropdown, enabling users to select their preferred language.
• Generate unique URLs for each language, using the format http://www.domain.com/nl/about-us instead of http://www.domain.com/over-ons.
• Consider implementing a "language-identification-less" URL for the main language, e.g., http://www.domain.com/about-us, with translated URLs for sublanguages, such as http://www.domain.com/nl/over-ons.

URL Translation Options

There are two primary options for URL translation:

• [:query] Route: Use a single URL segment to specify both language and content. This can be complex to parse and requires fallback sources such as cookies and HTTP headers.
• [:language]/[:query] Route: Separate language and content into distinct URL segments, making parsing easier and eliminating the need for multiple routing patterns.

Recommendation

For increased flexibility and ease of implementation, it is recommended to use the [:language]/[:query] Route option.

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