Best way to get a content item in another language?

[seadhna]

Hi there,
I've never used the multilingual capability of Elxis before but from everything I've ready, it sounds great.
I've been reading other threads trying to understand how to set it up but am confused!
e.g. https://forum.elxis.org/index.php?topic=3233.0
It seems that I can decide to set a section to 'all languages' (I have published four in Languages Manager)
and then I set the category to 'all languages'
and then I set a content item to 'all languages'
but if I click on say 'French' for the content item on the frontend, I get a 404.
What am I doing wrong?
In other threads, solutions are talking about creating menu items, but I'm confused - I create a new menu item to the same content item for each language?
I have already set the menu item as 'all languages' also. What have I neglected to do?
Many thanks for any assistance!
Oh - in the wiki - it says to create separate sections/categories/content items for each language - but how is this possible with SEO? i.e. two pages cannot have same seo...

[nikos]

When you have multilingual content first of all you have to think - plan what is your material for any language. Then you must create a structure of this into sections, categories and content items for each language by the following rule.

Each section can contain from one to many categories and each category can contain from one to many content items.

Lets suppose that you are going to build your site in English and French

Other name you will give to a section for English and other to the same section for French. And each section must be published to each language. Avoid to publish a section to more than one languages if you are note sure what you are doing.

In the same way as above you work with categories and content items.

And after that, you must create menu items for the above content structure, selecting among options which menu gives.  Be careful to not make the mistake that many beginners do. What is this? They create only menu items which they do not correspond to any content structure and they get often error 404. So first you make a content structure as you like and then you create menu items by which you can display the content into the template of your site.

Menu items also must be published in correspondent language.

In content structure you can make also Autonomous Pages which they do not belong to any category or section. An Autonomous Page can be displayed with a menu item "link to an Autonomous Page".

Work on a local demo site to make exercises on them before you continue to build a site.

[seadhna]

Hi there, thanks for your response - but I am still confused I'm afraid.
If we perhaps look at what is maybe the simplest solution first - my frontpage is an autonomous page (with SEO title: frontpage)
So if I understand correctly - you're saying I shouldn't publish this as 'all languages' but just 'English' and then publish again in 'French'
but what do I call the French version (SEO title)? and how does it happen that the page will be displayed in french if click french on the frontend?
How do I 'connect' the pages? And I just paste in the same English text and it will be translated?

[seadhna]

e.g. if I try to click on a French version of the frontpage.html - it tries to go to seo title: root/fr/frontpage.html
but this address is impossible, because it is autonomous page so there cannot be a section/category called 'fr'

[seadhna]

sorry for the multiple messages:
so I have called my frontpage (which is an autonomous page): frontpage.html and have set the language to English only.
I have created a second autonomous page called: fr-frontpage.html and have set the language to French only.

But on the front-end, if I try to click 'French' it wants to go to: root/fr
which doesn't exist.

also if I try to navigate to the French page on the front-end, I get 404.

I have linked to both from 'mainmenu'.

[nikos]

What to say... better to show you than to talk

OK I will try once again as simply i can

1st: Do not use an autonomous page for front page even you name it frontpage.html because an autonomous page can not be set by parameters in front page and generally is used for other purposes (for example the "terms of use" of a site is a text which 99.9% is written into an autonomous page). At Front Page can belong any content item of a category and you have to do this.

2nd: Follow the general rule i told you previously how to build you content and do not worry about SEO (in any language) because Elxis will make it for you automatically.

3rd: Remember to publish each item on it's language

[seadhna]

Sorry, maybe if you could just answer the question about SEO titles, I might understand better.
Please forget about frontpage for homepage for the present.
If I create an autonomous page with SEO title: test.html
how do I make another version for French? because when i click french on the frontend, it wants to go to root/fr/test.html
and I just get a 404 message.

[nikos]

Dear seadhna

Get out from the loop of autonomous pages, forget it and follow the instructions i wrote you previously if you want to learn how to build a site with Elxis. Make exercises on a localhost site to understand well the mechanism and then try to build your site. You just want an answer - solution on this you did (which is wrong) but by my opinion this is not the point.

Installing Elxis you have a demo site. Look carefully how content structure is made as well menu items and try to work in similar way. Look also for help at online Elxis demo site

[seadhna]

Hi there,
sorry for the delay in responding.

I've actually been using Elxis happily for many years, and have built many websites with this CMS.
However, I am having some difficulty understanding this multilingual feature as I have not used it before.

I would be enormously appreciative if anyone is able to answer the question I have posted in this thread several times.
I have followed all the instructions in terms of menu for a french version but just get a 404.

I cannot find any step by step for the multilingual capability anywhere online or in video form instruction.

Any help in answering my question directly would be very helpful. the point on autonomous pages is noted but does not relate directly to my query i feel. i.e. surely it is possible to translate an autonomous page?