The web is made with code, and that code comes in a variety of programming languages, frameworks, and systems. Most of the tools that are available to coders were designed to support content in the world’s languages, using a global standard (Unicode). Unfortunately the details of language support are lesser-known and rarely explained in the technology community.

Why is this important?

For millennia, people have translated speech and text to spread their messages and meaning. As the internet becomes the next medium of free speech, its tools, networks, and discussions gain in importance. Yet many popular sites are written only for one language, for one community. Translating the web is not as simple as hiring someone to translate the words on the buttons and labels. It involves special consideration from the programmer to detect and display the user’s preferred language.

How can I make my site multilingual?

Preparing your code to support multiple languages is known as internationalization (i18n). In many cases, it is as simple as replacing any hard-coded text and labels on your site with a template. For other languages, you need to consider different writing systems, or multiple plurals, or other issues you may not have thought about before.

Use the SLANG Group reference to find dozens of articles which explain i18n for your favorite languages and frameworks.