Using Joomla

Chapter 14. Languages

Joomla currently supports over 50 world languages, which is more languages than any other content management system. If your website users speak one language and your administrators another, you can customize your language settings to serve the needs of each. Language settings can also be set on an individual user basis so if you speak French, Japanese, or Farsi, you’ll know that Joomla speaks your language—even if it goes from right to left.

The Joomla Project works with designated Joomla Translation Teams to translate Joomla. These teams contribute their language packs and make them freely available.

The Language Manager

The Language Manager (see Figure 14-1) is the section where you’ll assign a default language for the frontend of your website, the backend, or both. They can be completely different languages if you like.

Figure 14-1. The Language Manager: Site languages

Go to Extensions→Language Manager. In the toolbar, you have the Default icon for setting the default language when you have more than one installed. Clicking between the Site and Administrator subsections under the section title will show you the languages you have installed. On a default installation, Joomla comes only with the English (United Kingdom) language pack.

Note

Language packs are a translation of the Joomla functions, not translations of your website content. To translate ...