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WPLMS – secure translation files from updates / using Poedit

25. June 2015

Development / WordPress / WPLMS

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WPLMS is a Learning Management System for WordPress. Translation files in WPLMS are located in

/wp-content/themes/wplms/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/vibe-course-module/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/vibe-customtypes/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/vibe-shortcodes/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/wplms-assignments/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/wplms-dashboard/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/wplms-events/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/wplms-front-end/languages/

These language files will be overwritten with new files on every update, destroying any custom translation changes.

THE THEME

Move your theme into a child theme and translate your theme there (/wp-content/themes/your-child-theme/languages/).

Make sure that language files are loaded from your child theme. Add the following action to your functions.php and use “vibe” as the domain, not the actual theme name.


add_action( 'after_setup_theme', 'my_child_theme_setup' );

function my_child_theme_setup() {
 load_child_theme_textdomain( 'vibe', get_stylesheet_directory() . "/languages" );
}

add_action( 'after_setup_theme', 'my_child_theme_setup' );

function my_child_theme_setup() {

load_child_theme_textdomain( 'vibe', get_stylesheet_directory() . "/languages" );

}

THE PLUGINS

Use the global language folder for the WPLMS plugin translations. The WPLMS plugin loader checks, if a global language file actually exists :)


 if ( file_exists( $mofile_global ) ) {
        load_textdomain( 'vibe', $mofile_global );
    } else {
        load_textdomain( 'vibe', $mofile_local );
    }

if ( file_exists( $mofile_global ) ) {

load_textdomain( 'vibe', $mofile_global );

} else {

load_textdomain( 'vibe', $mofile_local );

}

/wp-content/languages/plugins/vibe-de_DE.mo
/wp-content/languages/plugins/vibe-customtypes-de_DE.mo
/wp-content/languages/plugins/wplms-assignments-de_DE.mo
/wp-content/languages/plugins/wplms-dashboard-de_DE.mo
/wp-content/languages/plugins/wplms-events-de_DE.mo
/wp-content/languages/plugins/wplms-front-end-de_DE.mo
+++

POEDIT

I suggest using Poedit, as it allows you to do the translation on the Desktop. It also offers options to update your file with an updated WPLMS language file, allowing you to add new translation strings if needed :)

PREPARE

A. Create the structure for the update and download new PO files from WPLMS

/wp-content/themes/wplms/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/vibe-course-module/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/vibe-customtypes/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/vibe-shortcodes/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/wplms-assignments/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/wplms-dashboard/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/wplms-events/languages/
/wp-content/plugins/wplms-front-end/languages/

B. The target structure / your current language files

/wp-content/themes/your-child-theme/languages/de_DE.mo /.po
/wp-content/languages/plugins/vibe-de_DE.mo /.po
/wp-content/languages/plugins/vibe-customtypes-de_DE.mo /.po
/wp-content/languages/plugins/wplms-assignments-de_DE.mo /.po
/wp-content/languages/plugins/wplms-dashboard-de_DE.mo /.po
/wp-content/languages/plugins/wplms-events-de_DE.mo /.po
/wp-content/languages/plugins/wplms-front-end-de_DE.mo /.po
+++

C. Open your current .PO file from target structure

portalZINE NMN | Development meets Creativity | portalzine nmn development meets creativity uncategorized 5

D. Update with new and matching .PO file from A. (Catalog -> Update from POT file)

This will check for new or obsolete strings and update your language file.

portalZINE NMN | Development meets Creativity | portalzine nmn development meets creativity uncategorized 7

portalZINE NMN | Development meets Creativity | portalzine nmn development meets creativity uncategorized 8

E. New strings added

portalZINE NMN | Development meets Creativity | portalzine nmn development meets creativity uncategorized 9

F. Obsolete strings removed

portalZINE NMN | Development meets Creativity | portalzine nmn development meets creativity uncategorized 10

G. Save and upload updated .PO + .MO files from target structure to server.

Again, make sure to use the global language folder and the child theme languages folder !

Panic time after updates is over :)

Enjoy coding ….

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Alexander

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