Laravel Multi-Language Support (How to Build a Multilingual App)

Developer Sahayak
Laravel Multi-Language Support (How to Build a Multilingual App)

Introduction

Laravel provides built-in support for localization, allowing you to build multilingual applications with ease. This guide will walk you through setting up multi-language support in Laravel.

1. Setting Up Language Files

Laravel stores language files in the resources/lang/ directory. Each language should have its own folder:

resources/lang/
├── en/
│   ├── messages.php
├── fr/
│   ├── messages.php

Create a language file, for example, resources/lang/en/messages.php:

 'Welcome to our application!',
    'hello' => 'Hello, :name!'
];

2. Using the __('') Helper

To display translated content, use the __('') helper function:

{{ __('messages.welcome') }}

For dynamic values, use placeholders:

{{ __('messages.hello', ['name' => 'John']) }}

3. Changing the Application Language

Laravel determines the language from the configuration file config/app.php:

'locale' => 'en',

To change the language dynamically:

App::setLocale('fr');

4. Implementing Language Switching

Define a route in routes/web.php to change the language:

Route::get('lang/{locale}', function ($locale) {
    if (in_array($locale, ['en', 'fr'])) {
        session(['locale' => $locale]);
    }
    return redirect()->back();
});

Modify AppServiceProvider.php to apply the saved language:

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\App;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Session;

public function boot()
{
    if (Session::has('locale')) {
        App::setLocale(Session::get('locale'));
    }
}

5. Adding a Language Switcher in the View

Add the following language switcher to your Blade template:

<a href="{{ url('lang/en') }}">English</a>
<a href="{{ url('lang/fr') }}">Français</a>

6. Translating Validation Messages

Laravel includes default translation files for validation messages in resources/lang/{locale}/validation.php. You can customize them as needed.

7. Using JSON Translation Files

Instead of PHP arrays, you can use JSON files stored in resources/lang/{locale}.json:

{
    "welcome": "Welcome to our application!",
    "hello": "Hello, :name!"
}

Use the __('key') helper to retrieve translations:

{{ __('welcome') }}

Conclusion

By following these st

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