System settings and maintenance: Languages

Languages

Manage language versions

The ILIAS user interface (GUI) is currently available in 22 different language versions. These versions are maintained by volunteers from the respective country or culture and are complete to varying degrees.

 You would like to manage the system languages of your ILIAS installation.

1. Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.
2. Open the Languages dialog. A list of possible language settings for the ILIAS installation appears.

(De)installing individual languages

You want to (de)install system languages.

1. Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.
2. Call up the Languages dialog.
3. Select the relevant language(s) and choose Install or Uninstall from the selection menu above and below the table.
4. Click on the Execute button

Note: The availability and completeness of language data resources in ILIAS depends on the languages in which cooperation partners of the ILIAS open source community are active.
For new versions of ILIAS, only the German and English language versions are guaranteed.

Update languages

You want to update an already installed system language. This allows you to activate additional language data resources (so-called "LANG files") uploaded to the ILIAS database.

1. Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.
2. Call up the Languages dialog.
3. Select the relevant language(s) and select the Update option from the selection menu above and below the table.
4. Click on the Execute button.
5. Confirm that you want to update the system language. Click on the OK button.

An update is particularly necessary after an update to a new version, as this usually means that new functionalities and therefore also language variables are available.

Change default user and system language

You want to change the default user and/or system language.

1. Call up the Languages dialog.
2. Select the relevant language and choose the option Change user language or System language from the selection menu above and below the table.
3. Click on the Execute button.
4. Confirm that you want to make the change. Click on the OK button.
5. The user language defined here is transferred to all users and is also set by default when creating new users. However,
   it can be overwritten at any time:

• by the administrator in the ILIAS account (see Setting up a new ILIAS account manually)
• also by the user himself by default:
  • Users click on the avatar button at the top right.
  • ILIAS displays a selection menu.
  • The user selects the Settings entry.
  • ILIAS shows the general settings.
  • The desired language can be selected in the Language selection menu.

Note: The system language is used when access is independent of a specific ILIAS account, e.g. for the public area or the login page. User language and system language can be different. However, if they match, ILIAS will only display the message "System language".
Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.

Use local language file: Basics

Terms that appear in the ILIAS user interface are fed from so-called "language variables".
In the event that you wish to deviate from the respective standard language version, you can adapt individual language variables in a local language file.
If you already have the deviating language variables in a finished file, you can import them on the server and activate them via the language management. <br>
Reasons may be, for example, that you

• want to change a [could not resolve link target: il_6127_git_43] in many language variables at once using search-and-replace.
• want to edit language variables for which no wording has yet been entered; this sometimes happens in the course of an update and the associated new functionalities.

Use local language file: Procedure

The procedure described here is a possible alternative to the procedure described in the chapter "Extended language management" using the extended language management.
You want to make changes to the respective standard language version. To do this, you want to adapt the changes in a local language file.
Prerequisite: The file must be imported into the language file directory (\Customizing\global\lang) on the server.

1. Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.
2. Call up the Languages dialog
3. Select the relevant language(s) and select the Install with custom language files option from the selection menu above and below the table.
4. Click on the Execute button.
5. Confirm that you want to make the change. Click on the OK button.

Using advanced language management

Advanced language management: Basics

Instead of manually editing a local language file and importing it to the server, you can also use the extended language management integrated into the ILIAS interface, which is available for every installed language version.<br>

1. Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.
2. Call up the Languages dialog.
3. Click on the name of the language that is presented as a link.

Please note: If you click on Update languages, the changes you have made online will be deleted unless they have been saved to a local language file beforehand.<br>

Edit language versions

Terms that appear in the ILIAS user interface are fed from so-called "language variables".
You want to make deviations from the respective standard language version.

1. Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.
2. Call up the Languages dialog.
3. Click on the name of the language that is presented as a link.

The displayed table is divided into four columns:

• Module: The name of the ILIAS (software) module to which the text refers. You can get an overview of the modules using the statistics tab of the language management (see below).
  Note: On the next page you will find an overview of the ILIAS language modules.
• Identifier: A unique internal identifier of the language variable. There may be different system messages that are the same in English but not in other languages. The module and the identifier then provide an indication of the exact purpose of the language variable.
• Edited language: The currently valid language variables of the currently edited language are displayed in text fields and can be changed. Click the Save button at the bottom of the table if you want to save your changes.
• Comparison language: The last table column shows the same text in another of the installed languages. This comparison language can be selected from a drop-down menu above the table. If you select the same language as the currently edited language, the unchanged standard entries are displayed in this column.

Click the title of a column to sort the table alphabetically by its entries. If the list of entries is very long, it will be split into several pages.

Edit language versions: Filter

You want to filter entries in the extended language management.
You can filter the list at the top of the form:

• Module: Only the variables of the selected module are displayed.
• Special filter: This offers you the option of selecting special criteria:
  • Under All entries, all entries for the selected module are listed.
  • Under Local changes only, entries are listed that have been changed with the help of language management or using a local language file.
  • Only unchanged entries lists all unchanged entries (from the point of view of the standard language file).
  • All entries that are identical to the comparison language are listed under Corresponds to comparison language.
  • All entries that differ from those in the comparison language are listed.
  • All entries that have a comment in the standard language file are listed in With comments of the Language Manager. Select the same language as the comparison language to display the comments.

Click Apply filter to activate the selected filter criteria. The listed entries correspond to all criteria.
Note: If you do not find a phrase as a language variable in the translation form, although it is visible in the original window or browser tab, it is not a language variable of the system, but

• either a title, a description or the content of a user-generated object; such terms must be changed in the edit mode of the object concerned.
• or a formulation that is generated directly by PHP.

Edit language versions: Language modules

Exporting language files

You want to export an ILIAS language file and download it as a backup of your translations or use it for another ILIAS installation.

1. Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.
2. Call up the Languages dialog.
3. Click on the name of the language that is presented as a link.
4. Switch to the Export tab.  Three export modes are displayed:
   • All entries exports the entire language version including the standard and modified text. This can be used to provide a complete, customized language file for another installation or to replace a standard language file with corrected translations.
   • Only local changes exports only the language variables whose text has been changed online. This can be used to create a backup for customization or translation.
   • Only unchanged entries exports only the language variables whose text has not been changed. This can be used to create a file for external translators.
5. Select your mode and press the Download button.

Importing language files

You want to import an external language file into your installation.

1. Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.
2. Call up the Languages dialog.
3. Click on the name of the language that is presented as a link.
4. Switch to the Import tab.
5. Click on the Select file button.
6. The file manager of your operating system opens. Select your desired language file.

The entries in the language file are imported as local changes to the selected language. You can also decide how the existing language variables in the database should be handled:

• With Keep all existing entries, only newly defined entries are added, but all existing standard or locally changed entries are retained, even if they are defined in the imported language file. <br/> This can be used to incorporate newly added language variables from an added software module or a patch.
• Keep all local changes adds new entries and overwrites default entries, but keeps all changes previously made online, even if they are defined in the imported language file.<br/> In the event that you consider your own translations to be more appropriate or correct than the original, this can be used to integrate partial translations or customization into your ILIAS installation.
• With Replace existing entries, all language entries in the database for which there are new terms in the imported language file are overwritten with these new terms; all other entries remain unaffected. <br/> This can be used to reset the language file to an earlier state of local changes using a backup or to enter an externally created adaptation if you consider this to be more appropriate or more correct than your own translations.
• With Delete existing entries, all entries for the language are deleted from the database before the language file is imported. After the import, only the entries of the imported file are then in the database.<br/> This can be used to delete added entries that were only inserted for development and testing purposes.

Manage language adaptations

All changes to a language version (whether they are entered online or imported from an external language file) are initially only made in the ILIAS database.
The standard
 language file is not affected by these operations anyway; however, even customized language files remain as they are for the time being. You can use the Wait dialog to move the changes between the database and the adapted language file:

1. Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.
2. Call up the Languages dialog.
3. Click on the name of the language that is presented as a link.
4. Switch to the Maintenance tab. Three options are available:
   • Save all changes in the local language file:<br/>This saves all entries that differ from the standard language file in a local language file under "Customizing/global/lang" on your ILIAS installation. This directory or an existing local language file must be "writeable" for the server. The file is saved as "ilias_xx.lang.local", where "xx" is the ISO code of the language. Any existing local language file is renamed to "ilias_xx.lang.local.bak".<br/>After the operation, the status of the language is Installed With Local.
   • Load local language file into the database:<br/>This loads the entries of the local language file into the database. This is equivalent to an import with the Replace existing entries option or with the Install with local function in the Languages dialog. <br/>After the operation, the status of the language is Installed With Local.
   • Delete local changes in the database:<br/>This resets all changes made online to the terms in the standard language file. This is equivalent to uninstalling and reinstalling the language or importing it with the Delete existing entries option. <br/>After the operation, the status of the language is Installed.
5. Select your desired next step and click on the Perform maintenance button.

Note: When updating ILIAS, please save all changes to the local language file beforehand. Otherwise they will be lost when you click Update languages in the language management after the update. The local changes must be saved before the standard language file is replaced by the new copy of ILIAS.

Calling up editing statistics for the language versions

You want to get an overview of the current status of a language:

1. Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.
2. Call up the Languages dialog.
3. Click on the name of the language that is presented as a link.
4. Switch to the Statistics tab.
   • The first column lists all language modules in the system.
   • The second column shows the number of all language variables in the database for this module.
   • The third column shows all entries that differ from the standard language file.
   • The fourth column shows all entries that are identical to the standard language file.

Activating and using page translation

Activate page translation

You want to quickly make partial translations of the system or correct incorrect translations. If it is activated in your language settings and you have "Read" and "Visible" rights in the Languages dialog, you will see a "Translation" link at the bottom of every ILIAS view.

1. Click Administration in the main menu and select System settings and maintenance.
2. Call up the Languages dialog.
3. Click on the name of the language that is presented as a link.
4. Switch to the Settings tab.
5. Activate the checkbox Page translation activated.
6. Click on the Change language settings button.

In the Settings dialog for the language in question, you can check whether page translation is activated for it.<br>
If page translation is activated, a "Translation" link will be visible in the footer of each page in ILIAS, which opens a translation form for all language variables on the page in question. <br>
Page translation is deactivated by default and must be activated separately for each language.
To be able to use the function, a user must also have the "Read" and "Visible" rights on the Languages dialog. By assigning these rights to a specific role, you can give language experts who do not have access to the administration area of ILIAS the opportunity to correct linguistic errors.

Use page translation

To use the page translation at a specific point, proceed as follows:

1. Select the Translation link in the footer of the relevant page.
2. A new view appears containing a translation form:
   Here you will find exactly those language variables that play a role on the page from which you have requested the page translation.
   The translation form works in exactly the same way as the form in the language management, with the difference that the list of entries is limited to those displayed and no filter function is available.
   The translation form appears in a new window or browser tab, so you can switch to the original window or browser tab at any time to check the context in which a particular [could not resolve link target: il_6127_git_43] is used.
   If you cannot find a language variable in the translation form, even though it is visible in the original window or browser tab, it is not a language variable of the system, but...
   • either a title, a description or the content of a user-generated object; such terms must be changed in the edit mode of the object concerned.
   • or a formulation that is generated directly by PHP.
3. Save your changes; you can now close the window or the browser tab with the translation form.
4. Then reload the edited page to check the effects of your changes.