# Multilingual Site

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/multilingual-site/115104>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [September 20, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/multilingual-site/115104 "2007-09-20T16:48:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jonbaty](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@jonbaty](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jonbaty)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/multilingual-site/115104/1 "2007-09-20T16:48:44Z")

</div>

I am starting a new project and I am somewhat new to Rails. One of the  
requirements for the new site is it going to have to handle multiple  
languages. Currently around 14 languages. I will be creating the  
English version and then I will be sending the views to other people  
to translate. Does anyone have any experience with this? I am creating  
a Language table in my database and displaying the text based on the  
language\_id given. Is there a better way?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jonbaty](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@jonbaty](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jonbaty)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/multilingual-site/115104/2 "2007-09-20T17:02:59Z")

</div>

Jon, i18n is more than just string translation. Have you looked at all  
the i18n plugins available, e.g.  
[http://www.globalize-rails.org/globalize/](http://www.globalize-rails.org/globalize/)

mike

jonbaty wrote:

> I am starting a new project and I am somewhat new to Rails. One of the  
> requirements for the new site is it going to have to handle multiple  
> languages. Currently around 14 languages. I will be creating the  
> English version and then I will be sending the views to other people  
> to translate. Does anyone have any experience with this? I am creating  
> a Language table in my database and displaying the text based on the  
> language\_id given. Is there a better way?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jonbaty](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@jonbaty](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jonbaty)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/multilingual-site/115104/3 "2007-09-20T19:34:10Z")

</div>

jonbaty,  
I am doing the same thing at the moment. We don’t have date or money  
issues (we are running for one country but supporting different  
languages). We’re going ahead with GLoc. Still coming to grips with  
it, but it seems pretty close to what we do in java/jstl.  
It is not (maybe it could be, not sure) db based - it is file based  
though.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jonbaty](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@jonbaty](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jonbaty)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/multilingual-site/115104/4 "2007-09-20T19:55:14Z")

</div>

Thanks for the quick reply, Mike. I saw this a few days ago and will  
look into it some more. I just did not know if i was headed in a wrong  
way or if there was a really easy way of doing it and I was missing  
it.

On Sep 20, 10:02 am, Mike P. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jonbaty](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@jonbaty](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jonbaty)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/multilingual-site/115104/5 "2007-09-20T23:54:58Z")

</div>

sorry phil, i think you were writing the same time i was writing mine.  
My boss is off all this week so i will get with him and decide. I just  
wondered if i was on the right track. It is going a lot slower than i  
thought. I guess they all do… thanks for the reply