Translate only one string in component rest of component stay with default language

Question

Is there a way to translate a single string with a language that is different from the default language?

(Google search did not lead me to a solution.) Example code that does not work:

// This shows in the default joomla language "en-GB"
echo JText::_('COM_COMPONENT_TEXT');

// Now I load the second language into an language object
$lang = JLanguage::getInstance('af-ZA');

// Now I translate the below string with "af-ZA"
echo $lang->_('COM_COMPONENT_TRANSLATEDTEXT');

// Now the third text is again in default language "en-GB"
echo JText::_('COM_COMPONENT_TEXT2');

I created the .ini files needed for the af-ZA translation. The below files were created for the task.

components/com_component/language/af-ZA/af-ZA.com_component.ini
components/com_component/language/en-GB/en-GB.com_component.ini

In my tests, I loaded the af-ZA language pack for Joomla. The JText translates correctly if I change my user profile to af-ZA, but then everything is translated to af-ZA -- not just the string I want translated.

My hope is to find a reliable Joomla technique that uses best practice. If it is not possible, I will write my own translation code.

Some context:

I am building a component behind login on the front part of a client Joomla website. The logged in user can choose a language on an activity that will generate a unique URL with content; the unique URL must show the content in the correct language. The viewer of the content (receiver of the url) won't be logged in for me to get the user language. The rest of the website stays in the default language. I just want the content to be in the language specified in the url.

Answer 1

There is an alt method of the Text class that appears to allow you display translations in another language, https://api.joomla.org/cms-3/classes/Joomla.CMS.Language.Text.html

The example is not overly , or barely, explanatory enough for me but the description indicates it will use the same Constant and translate it into a different languages. Looking at the class itself doesn't really make it any clearer to me either, maybe someone else can explain how it works or if it might be useful.

/**
 * Translates a string into the current language.
 *
 * Examples:
 * `<?php echo Text::alt('JALL', 'language'); ?>` will generate a 'All' string in English but a "Toutes" string in French
 * `<?php echo Text::alt('JALL', 'module'); ?>` will generate a 'All' string in English but a "Tous" string in French
 *
 * @param   string   $string                The string to translate.
 * @param   string   $alt                   The alternate option for global string
 * @param   mixed    $jsSafe                Boolean: Make the result javascript safe.
 * @param   boolean  $interpretBackSlashes  To interpret backslashes (\\=\, \n=carriage return, \t=tabulation)
 * @param   boolean  $script                To indicate that the string will be pushed in the javascript language store
 *
 * @return  string  The translated string or the key if $script is true
 *
 * @since   1.7.0
 */
public static function alt($string, $alt, $jsSafe = false, $interpretBackSlashes = true, $script = false)
{
    if (Factory::getLanguage()->hasKey($string . '_' . $alt))
    {
        $string .= '_' . $alt;
    }

    return static::_($string, $jsSafe, $interpretBackSlashes, $script);
}

I couldn't find any examples or other references to it being used, but maybe it can be of use to you.

... a day later....

I have played with the Alt option to try and figure out how it works and this is what I have come up with.

In your Language .ini or an Override you set your Constants, e.g.

COM_FRED_GREETING='Hello'
COM_FRED_GREETING_BARNEY='Yo, Buddy'

In your extension you change your text to translate code from the default underscore to 'alt'

echo Text::_('COM_FRED_GREETING');

to

echo Text::alt('COM_FRED_GREETING',$some_var);

If you set $some_var = 'Wilma' you use the default translate and the output is 'Hello' because it couldn't find a Key to translate called COM_FRED_GREETING_WILMA=''

If you set $some_var = 'Barney' then it gets concatenated to the Constant as COM_FRED_GREETING_BARNEY and it matches a Key and the String is translated to 'Yo, Buddy'

So for the original question they could use something like;

COM_CUSTOM_TEXT='Good Morning'
COM_CUSTOM_TEXT_ZA='Mwauka bwanji'

and set

$alt = ''
echo Text::alt('COM_CUSTOM_TEXT',$alt);
$alt = 'za'
echo Text::alt('COM_CUSTOM_TEXT',$alt);