Internationalization (i18n) library for CodeIgniter

Warning: this tutorial and library are out of date. Prefer the last version, which doesn't need a hook

Updated on March 19, 2009: more robust and no more XML. Previous version is still available.

Have the language in the URL

• maestric.com/en/about
• maestric.com/fr/about

Keep using CodeIgniter Language Class

View

<p>
  <?=lang('about.gender')?>
</p>

English language file

$lang['about.gender'] = "I'm a man";

French language file

$lang['about.gender'] = "Je suis un homme";

Result with maestric.com/en/about

<p>I'm a man</p>

Result with maestric.com/fr/about

<p>Je suis un homme</p>

• Download ci_i18n_library.zip
• Put MY_Language.php in system/application/libraries
• Put MY_url_helper.php in system/application/helpers

• You must be using pretty URLs (without index.php). On Linux it's usually achieved with mod_rewrite through an .htacess

In config.php

• $config['base_url'] must correspond to your configuration.
• $config['index_page'] = ””
• $config['enable_hooks'] = TRUE;

In config/routes.php add

// URI like '/en/about' -> use controller 'about'
$route['^fr/(.+)$'] = "$1";
$route['^en/(.+)$'] = "$1";
 
// '/en' and '/fr' URIs -> use default controller
$route['^fr$'] = $route['default_controller'];
$route['^en$'] = $route['default_controller'];

In config/hooks.php add

// init language
$hook['post_controller_constructor'][] = array(
	'class' => 'MY_Language',
	'function' => 'init_language',
	'filename' => 'MY_Language.php',
	'filepath' => 'libraries'
	);

Let's build a bilingual English/French page.

system/application/language/english/about_lang.php

<?php
 
$lang['about.gender'] = "I'm a man";
 
/* End of file about_lang.php */
/* Location: ./system/language/english/about_lang.php */

system/application/language/french/about_lang.php

<?php
 
$lang['about.gender'] = "Je suis un homme";
 
/* End of file about_lang.php */
/* Location: ./system/language/french/about_lang.php */

system/application/controllers/about.php

<?php
class About extends Controller {
 
	function index()
	{
		// you might want to just autoload these two helpers
		$this->load->helper('language');
		$this->load->helper('url');
 
		// load language file
		$this->lang->load('about');
 
 
		$this->load->view('about');
	}
}
 
/* End of file about.php */
/* Location: ./system/application/controllers/about.php */

system/application/views/about.php

<p><?=lang('about.gender')?></p>
 
<p><?=anchor('music','Shania Twain')?></p>

http://your_base_url/en/about

<p>I'm a man</p>
 
<p><a href="http://mywebsite.com/en/music">Shania Twain</a></p>

http://your_base_url/fr/about

<p>Je suis un homme</p>
 
<p><a href="http://mywebsite.com/fr/music">Shania Twain</a></p>

• You might need to translate some of CodeIgniter's language files in system/language. Example: if you're using the “Form Validation” library for French pages, translate system/language/form_validation_lang.php to system/application/language/french/form_validation_lang.php.

• links to internal pages are prefixed by the current language, but links to files are not.

site_url('about/my_work');
// http://mywebsite.com/en/about/my_work
 
 
site_url('css/styles.css');
// http://mywebsite.com/css/styles.css

• Get the current language

$this->lang->lang();
// en

• Switch to another language

anchor($this->lang->switch_uri('fr'),'Display current page in French');

• the root page (/) is supposed to be some kind of splash page, without any specific language. This can be changed: see “No splash page” below.

A special URI is not prefixed by a language. The root URI (/) is by default a special URI.

You might need other special URIs, like for an admin section, which would be in just one language.

In system/application/libraries/MY_Language.php, add admin to the $special array. That's it! Now links to admin won't be prefixed by the current language.

site_url('admin');
// http://mywebsite.com/admin

In system/application/libraries/MY_Language.php

• remove ”” from the $special array
• set $default_uri to something else like home
• now a request to / will be redirected to en/home, if English is your default language
• the default language is the first item of the $languages array

• system/application/libraries/MY_Language.php: add new item in $languages array
• config/routes.php: add

// example: add German language (de)
$route['^de/(.+)$'] = "$1"; 
$route['^de$'] = $route['default_controller'];

• create corresponding language folder in system/application/language