Multi-language content filter: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:57, 8 September 2017

Displaying text in multiple languages

The multi-language content filter enables resources to be created in multiple languages. When turned on, it looks for <span lang="xx" class="multilang"> tags which indicate that a text contains multiple languages. Then it selects and outputs the text in the user's language (as set in their browser or in their preferences).

Enabling the multi-language content filter

An admin can enable the multi-language content filter as follows:

Go to Site administration > Plugins > Filters > Manage filters and in the dropdown menu for multi-language content select 'On'.
If headings are to be shown in multiple languages too, select 'Content and headings' in the 'Apply to' column. Note that this may affect site performance.

How to use in a course

To use this feature first create your content in multiple languages (in the same resource). Then enclose each language block (aka multilang block) in the following tags:

      <span lang="XX" class="multilang">your_content_here</span>
      <span lang="YY" class="multilang">your_content_in_other_language_here</span>

It is essential to be in the code editing mode (press [<>] in the HTML editor), when you enter these tags for them to work. Only spaces, tabs and enters can be used between the individual languages in the multilang block.

Note: If your site uses a child language pack (see Language packs for the list), then the first span tag must be the parent language. Otherwise, when a user using the child language views the text, it will not be in the correct language for them (as reported in MDL-55197). For example, if your site uses en_us then the en span tag (as parent language) must be first i.e.

<span lang="en" class="multilang">your_content_in English</span>
      <span lang="de" class="multilang">your_content_in_German_here</span>

How to use for assignment submission agreements

With the filter enabled, go to Site administration > Plugins > Activity modules > Assignment > Assignment settings.
In the submission statement, add (for example)

      <span lang="en" class="multilang">This assignment is my own work, except where I have acknowledged the use of the works of other people.</span>
<span lang="fr" class="multilang">Ce devoir est le fruit de mon travail personnel, sauf aux endroits où l'utilisation d'oeuvre d'autres auteurs est clairement indiquée.</span>

How it works internally

Filter first looks for multilang blocks in the text
For each multilang block:
- If there are texts in the currently active language, print them
- Else, if there exists texts in the current parent language, print them
- Else, print the first language found in the text
Text outside of multilang blocks will be shown always

Common problems

The multi-lang filter is not enabled. It can be enabled in 'Manage filters' in the Site administration'.
Headings aren't displaying correctly - the multi-lang filter should be set to apply to content and headings in 'Manage filters' in the Site administration'.
Extra characters between language span tags - editor might add <br /> or other tags, please review the html in source view
If the course setting is "force" some language, you won't be able to change the displayed language.
Extra spaces in language span tag
The multi-lang filter does not work with the course short name! A course's short name is meant as a unique course identifier, so it does not use the multi-lang filter.

The 'Restriction by language' additional plugin

Restriction by language

Language filters are great, but sometimes they can make your resources and activities very complex.

The Restriction by language availability condition is an additional plugin that makes it easy to show an English resource only to English users and an activity in French only to French speaking students.

The Multi-Language Content (v2) additional plugin and Multi-Language Content text editor plugins

There is also an alternative multi-language content filter available called Multi-language Content (v2). This filter uses very simple non-HTML tags to mark multi-language blocks (makes it easier to create multi-language content), and can be used together with the Multi-Language Content Atto plugin or the Multi-Language Content TinyMCE plugin to make it even easier to create multi-language content directly on the text editor without using the HTML view mode.

The Multi-Lingual Content additional plugin

This filter is a more flexible version of multilang filter. One of three possible choices can be selected by the filter admin setting: HTML syntax, Non HTML syntax or Both. If the non html syntax is chosen language block looks like: {mlang en}English{mlang}{mlang bg}Bulgarian{mlang}. In case of Html syntax, language block is a sequence of identical html tags with lang="XX" attributes span or div or any other.

Any questions?

Please post in the Languages forum on moodle.org.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Moodle will allow different resources to appear to users based upon their language.  This is a filter called Multi language content.  This page goes into details of several ways of displaying resources to users based on language.
+{{Filters}}
+==Displaying text in multiple languages==
+The multi-language content filter enables resources to be created in multiple languages. When turned on, it looks for <nowiki><span lang="xx" class="multilang"></nowiki> tags which indicate that a text contains multiple languages. Then it selects and outputs the text in the user's language (as set in their browser or in their preferences).
-== Overview multi language ==
+==Enabling the multi-language content filter==
-The Multi-language content filter enables resources to be created in multiple languages. When turned on, it looks for <lang> tags which indicate that a text contains multiple languages. Then it selects and outputs the best language for the current user. The language of the resource will change when the user changes their selected Moodle language.
+An admin can enable the multi-language content filter as follows:
-== How to use ==
+# Go to ''Site administration > Plugins > Filters > Manage filters'' and in the dropdown menu for multi-language content select 'On'.
-To use this feature first create your contents in multiple languages (in the same resource). Then enclose each language block in the following tags:
+# If headings are to be shown in multiple languages too, select 'Content and headings' in the 'Apply to' column. Note that this may affect site performance.
-      <nowiki><span lang="XX">your_content_here</span>
+== How to use in a course ==
-      <span lang="YY">your_content_in_other_language_here</span>
-</nowiki>
-It is essential to be in the "code" editing (press <nowiki>[<>]</nowiki> in the HTML editor), when you enter these tags for them to work.
+To use this feature first create your content in multiple languages (in the same resource). Then enclose each language block (aka multilang block) in the following tags:
-Even the HTML tagging
+       <nowiki><span lang="XX" class="multilang">your_content_here</span>
-       <nowiki><lang lang="XX">your_content_here</lang>
+       <span lang="YY" class="multilang">your_content_in_other_language_here</span></nowiki>
-      <lang lang="YY">your_content_in_other_language_here</lang>
-</nowiki>
-works, but may be unsupported from 1.7.
-       <nowiki><lang="XX">your_content_here</lang>
-    <lang="YY">your_content_in_other_language_here</lang>
-</nowiki>
-does NOT work.
-==Course summary and title tags==
+It is essential to be in '''the code editing mode''' (press <nowiki>[<>]</nowiki> in the HTML editor), when you enter these tags for them to work. Only spaces, tabs and enters can be used between the individual languages in the multilang block.
-To be able to change even resource titles and summaries, you must chose "all strings" in the adminstration choices.
- <nowiki> <span lang="en">Matematically</span> <span lang="sv">Matematiskt (svenska)</span></nowiki>
-would function as English or Swedish title.
-It doesn't seem to work for course titles (neither long nor short version).
+Note: If your site uses a child language pack (see [[Language packs]] for the list), then the first span tag must be the parent language. Otherwise, when a user using the child language views the text, it will not be in the correct language for them (as reported in MDL-55197). For example, if your site uses en_us then the en span tag (as parent language) must be first i.e.
-In the course summary:
+ <nowiki><span lang="en" class="multilang">your_content_in English</span>
+      <span lang="de" class="multilang">your_content_in_German_here</span></nowiki>
- <nowiki><span lang="en">Growth is often a major concern in planning society.
+==How to use for assignment submission agreements==
- How can one avoid superficial conclusions? <br>
-(Exists in Swedish too. Finns på svenska också)</span>
- <span lang="sv">Tillväxt är ofta använt i samhällsdebatten.
-Hur kan man undvika ytliga slutsatser?
- (Finns på engelska också. Exists in English too.)
-<br /></span> </nowiki>
-Can show in the chosen language (and point out that the other language is there).
+#With the filter enabled, go to ''Site administration > Plugins > Activity modules > Assignment > Assignment settings.
+#In the submission statement, add (for example)
-== Block tags ==
+      <nowiki><span lang="en" class="multilang">This assignment is my own work, except where I have acknowledged the use of the works of other people.</span>
-That the filter works on multilanguage blocks is important, see forum: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=51603 :
+<span lang="fr" class="multilang">Ce devoir est le fruit de mon travail personnel, sauf aux endroits où l'utilisation d'oeuvre d'autres auteurs est clairement indiquée.</span> </nowiki>
-From which this is copied (and ought to be shortened):
- <nowiki>
- ... how the multilang filter works:
-) First of all it looks for multilang Blocks.
+== How it works internally ==
-One Multilang block of text is defined as one group of <span lang="XX">
-tags together, without anything between them.
-) After this detection of Blocks, for each of them, Moodle selects
+# Filter first looks for ''multilang blocks'' in the text
-the best language for the user displaying the info, showing its info
+# For each multilang block:
-and discarding the rest of lang tags in the block.
+#* If there are texts in the currently active language, print them
+#* Else, if there exists texts in the current parent language, print them
+#* Else, print the first language found in the text
+# Text outside of multilang blocks will be shown always
- So, applying this behaviour to the example you wrote above, we have:
+== Common problems ==
-) Moodle looks for Blocks and it finds TWO blocks:
+# The multi-lang filter is not enabled. It can be enabled in 'Manage filters' in the Site administration'.
+# Headings aren't displaying correctly - the multi-lang filter should be set to apply to content and headings in 'Manage filters' in the Site administration'.
+# Extra characters between language span tags - editor might add <nowiki><br /></nowiki> or other tags, please review the html in source view
+# If the course setting is "force" some language, you won't be able to change the displayed language.
+# Extra spaces in language span tag
+# The multi-lang filter does not work with the course short name! A course's short name is meant as a unique course identifier, so it does not use the multi-lang filter.
-Block A: <span lang="de">von links</span>
+==The 'Restriction by language' additional plugin==
-Block B:<span lang="en"><span="en"><font size="3"> </font></span>from the left</span>
+[[File:Restriction by language.png|thumb|Restriction by language]]
+Language filters are great, but sometimes they can make your resources and activities very complex.
-) For each block, Moodle display the better language. As Both blocks
+The [https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=availability_language Restriction by language availability condition] is an additional plugin that makes it easy to show an English resource only to English users and an activity in French only to French speaking students.
-only contain ONE lang tag, it's returned, so results are:
-For Block A: von links
+==The Multi-Language Content (v2) additional plugin and Multi-Language Content text editor plugins==
-For Block B: <span="en"><font size="3"> </font></span>from the left
+There is also an alternative multi-language content filter available called [https://moodle.org/plugins/filter_multilang2 Multi-language Content (v2)]. This filter uses very simple non-HTML tags to mark multi-language blocks (makes it easier to create multi-language content), and can be used together with the [https://moodle.org/plugins/atto_multilang2 Multi-Language Content Atto plugin] or the [https://github.com/iarenaza/moodle-tinymce_moodlelang2 Multi-Language Content TinyMCE plugin] to make it even easier to create multi-language content directly on the text editor without using the HTML view mode.
-Then obviously, in one web page, those results are showed as:
+==The Multi-Lingual Content additional plugin==
+[https://moodle.org/plugins/filter_multilangsecond This filter] is a more flexible version of multilang filter. One of three possible choices can be selected by the filter admin setting: HTML syntax, Non HTML syntax or Both. If the non html syntax is chosen language block looks like: {mlang en}English{mlang}{mlang bg}Bulgarian{mlang}. In case of Html syntax, language block is a sequence of identical html tags with lang="XX" attributes span or div or any other.
-von links
+==Any questions?==
-from the left
-The key concept here is the Block of lang. Once you get it, everything is easily to understand.
+Please post in the [https://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=43 Languages forum] on moodle.org.
-Also note that the HTMLEditor seems to introduce an excess of "noisy" tags
+==See also==
- under some circumstances and, if it does so between lang tags, it will be,
-in fact, breaking your blocks of langs! It's always recommended to check the
-final HTML generated by the HTML Editor in order to verify that the lang tags
-(and their grouping together is conforming blocks of langs) are properly
- written.</nowiki>
-== Translations with tags ==
+*[[Language]]
-If I were to want to translate a word or phrase to a chosen language in an English text:
+*Custom menu items in [[Theme settings]]
+*[https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=320980 Translation of MOOC] forum discussion and solution
+* [https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=356318 language dropdown not displayed - Boots logon page] forum thread
- <nowiki>If I want to include an explanation <span lang="en"> </span>
+[[Category:Language]]
- <span lang="sv">(sv: förklaring)</span> in a running text can I do it?
-<br />
-<br /><span lang="en">If I want to include an explanation in a running text
- can I do it? </span>
-<span lang="sv">If I want to include an explanation (sv: förklaring) in a
-running text can I do it?</span></nowiki>
-would both work, but not:
+[[de:Mehrsprachiger Inhalt]]
+[[es:Filtro de contenido multi-idioma]]
- <nowiki>If I want to include an explanation <span lang="en"></span>
+[[fr:Contenu multilingue]]
- <span lang="sv">(sv: förklaring)</span> in a running text can I do it?
+[[ja:多言語シンタックス]]
-<br />If I want to include an explanation <span lang="sv">(sv: förklaring)</span>
- in a running text can I do it?<br /></nowiki>
-which would show the Swedish even if English was the chosen language. NOTE the "span lang=en" must contain something, at least a space.
-== See Also ==
-[[Filters_%28administrator%29]]
-Forum discussion  http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=51603

Documentation