Multilingual Bitrix

For quite a long time, the topic of bitrix multilingualism and ways to solve it have been discussed on forums and telegram chats. The solutions themselves are often something very difficult to imagine and incomparable with the engine of the Bitrix content management system. Basically, such solutions are called crutch. And all this is only because Bitrix does not have multilingualism as such.

It's good if the content is different

The problem does not arise only if you have different content for each language. For example, each language of your site defines different countries, which differ in the content itself. Different news that is relevant for one country and irrelevant for another. Your list of chain stores. It will be different for each region.

But what if the content is the same for all languages?

Okay, we've dealt with different content. But what to do when we have a single content, such as a product catalog, and we sell these products in several countries. Or in our country, we need to show these products in different languages. Duplicate directories, you say? This is how many products will have to change the price, descriptions, properties, and so on... Such an approach to the multilingual site will turn out to be a nightmare for you after all the manipulations done by you and your team. It will be simply impossible to manage so much information and synchronize it! And you can’t set up uploading your catalog from 1C to different infoblocks in different languages? How? Impossible! I have seen such processes within companies, when with great effort they try to make this lame mare run.

Everyone is doing something, but it is not clear what. We made an unloading from 1C, then the content manager tries to comb it all on the site. Manually adds properties on duplicate infoblocks, then after some time they see that they buy goods on duplicate catalogs at the old price and they are in a terrible minus. This is followed by a disassembly with patronage, after which they give the task to content workers with a rank below to go through the entire catalog of goods with trade offers and align prices according to excel. Further, the SEO specialist shouts that it needs to be corrected here as well, since meta tags need to be written for each element separately. For each product separately, and there is no way to do it according to a template, when you customized the catalog templates using crutch methods for the multilingual site. As a result, marketers, content managers, SEOs and other guys in the company don’t even have time to work on improving the website’s progress, but hang in a stupid ever-growing routine of unnecessary things. And companies spend a lot of money on this. Time goes by, money goes away, but there was no sense, and no.

Developing multilingualism

Now about the good. The idea to create Multilingual Module was born a couple of years ago. After all the time I had to face the same task, and see all this nonsense that was going on in the site code and in the processes of companies. I wanted to be useful and solve all these problems with the multilingual site on Bitrix. And so, after a long study of the issue not only in theory, but also in practice, and after long sleepless nights at the computer, the result of my creativity was born - Module for Bitrix Multilingualism : infoblocks in different languages. Now you have the opportunity to store basic information in one infoblock in many languages. The number of languages ​​in which information can be stored in the infoblock is unlimited.

And also our module does not load the system at all when displaying this very information. The components give the same speed as on the pure version of Bitrix without third-party modules installed. Moreover, our module does not require editing component templates. Since all functions for displaying multilingual information are performed even before the component templates are connected. This removes a lot of questions for those who have customized templates. But for those who need the integration of their component with our Bitrix multilingual module, it will not be difficult for programmers. It is enough to include our module in the code and redefine the class by just adding one character to its name. For example, replace CIBlockElement::GetList with FCIBlockElement::GetList. Is everything simple? Of course!

Multilingual Bitrix is ​​easy to install and use

Our module Bitrix Multilingual is easy to install. It is enough to download the module installer file Market Module, with which you can already install our module Multilingual: infoblocks in different languages. And start translating the site! Yes, you don't need to configure anything. During installation, the system itself will determine the main language, which will be the default and will not participate in translations. And it will be stored and displayed as is. And all other languages ​​will be in multilingual mode. Our multilingual module will already be responsible for storing and outputting data for such languages.

Bitrix multilingualism in the 1C:Enterprise catalog

And the most useful side of this module is that the owners of online stores that use the 1C accounting system native to Bitrix will be able to display their 1C catalog in multilingual mode.

Everything is as simple as 1,2,3:

• Uploading goods from 1C to the Bitrix website in the original
• Go to the Bitrix admin panel and switch to the desired language
• We translate the fields we need.

This approach is very convenient both for content creators, who simply fill the site with information, and for programmers, who expand the site's capabilities.

How multilingualism works

And now I’ll tell you a little about how the Bitrix multilingual module works. All basic functions are observed with the rules of Bitrix - this is the main thing! The user enters the admin panel, and does not see any difficulties for himself. Everything is simple and familiar, as it should be by default. It is enough to switch the language in the admin panel and start making translations. For example, let's take the catalog infoblock. We translate infoblocks, sections and elements. At the very beginning, we specify the SEO fields of the infoblock, which will be inherited in multilingual mode from the infoblock to its section, from the section to its element. Sounds great, doesn't it? But before this was not the case in customized solutions, and you had to SEO each element separately. Content people will understand what I mean and will be infinitely happy, especially together with SEO specialists. We fill in the fields of sections in different languages. We introduce translations for the fields of infoblock elements, as well as their properties in the multilingual mode. Since this is a catalog, it may have an infoblock with trade offers. Don't forget to do the same for him. Everything seems to be ready!

Data output in multilingual mode

We go to the public part, where we have created a directory section in the desired language.

We check:

• Meta tags
• Menu
• Breadcrumb
• Headings
• Pictures
• Section descriptions
• Product descriptions
• Basket
• Checkout
• Search by headings
• Catalog search

Yes, it all works in multilingual mode.

Conclusion

We have done a great and difficult work, which, like any other work, takes a very long time. But we tried to make life easier for others in the management of large volumes of content. Our Bitrix multilingual module does not stand still. It is in constant testing and improvement. Therefore, this site, on which you are now reading my article, also works on this module. And this means that we do everything for you as for ourselves. Well, over the years of practice, not only in programming, but also in other website development processes, believe me, we know how to do it!

I will be glad to your requests. Ask questions directly, as well as on my forum. See you!