We created a modified version of Atahualpa (based on 3.4.1) which runs multilingual using the plugin WPML. The changes to the theme include:

• Several language selectors, added to match the theme design (and can be further customized).
• A language sensitive home page link.
• Translation for all the texts entered in the theme admin screen.

These changes are all optional. Meaning, if WPML is active, the theme would run multilingual with it. Otherwise, it would run normally.

I would like to invite everyone to try it out and comment on it.

To try it out:

1. See a live demo running English, Spanish and German.
2. Download the modified theme.
3. Read a blog post that details all the changes that we've done.

Feedback is highly appreciated.

Amir

Does this multilingual version also gives separate feeds for the different languages?
Until now, I always have a Dutch and an English text in one blogpost, but it would be nice to be able to separate not only the texts on site, but also in the feed.

Multilingual feeds are inherent to WPML, so it's also working for Atahualpa as well. For instance, in our demo site:

• English feed (default language)
• Spanish feed
• German feed

Thank you for the speedy reply. I'm definitely going to try it out!

The modified theme have to be installed as new theme or could be installed over an athualpa 3.4.4 running site?
I'm a little confused about it!

It can be installed over the current theme. Everything should stay the same, you'll just have the language switcher built in and some things adjusted to run multilingual.

Great, thanks a lot for the fast answer. I will report here what happen :-)

If this is based on 3.4.2 and you were using 3.4.4 I would think you would lose any changes made in the code base (ie 3.4.2, 3.4.3 and 3.4.4 changes/fixes)

Originally Posted by juggledad

If this is based on 3.4.2 and you were using 3.4.4 I would think you would lose any changes made in the code base (ie 3.4.2, 3.4.3 and 3.4.4 changes/fixes)

You're right. It didn't work or at least did'nt work as supposed. My original Atahualpa theme was 3.4.4, but installing the modified theme over it, the version reported is now 3.4.1.
The main page in the native language still work , with minor graphics issue, but clicking on a different languages the page contents are displayed without the right CSS rules and with a very different structure (only one DIV "wrapper" and no DIVs for sidebars,footer and header).
See examples: [img=http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/7748/itam.th.png]
[img=http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/2166/80972168.th.png]

is possible to have the modified theme updated to last atahualpa?
As juggledad says there are some difference from the 3.4.1 to 3.4.4 and I think that all others start to use this may find the same problems as me.
Or if I don't understand how it works, I really appreciate any help.
Thanks for your help

Hi juggledad,

Our initial intention to maintain multilingual-ready versions of themes is proving problematic, exactly due to the reason you've pointed out. It's very difficult for us to maintain it when themes update.

We also understand that there's little point in us asking theme authors to add support for our plugin, as most users don't need their sites running multilingual.

So, instead we're going to try a different approach. WPML will include compatibility packages for popular themes. The idea is that we should use existing hooks in the themes to make them multilingual without asking for changes that are specific to WPML.

For this to work, we might need to ask for some hooks added to the themes. These will be hooks that allow us (and everyone else) to filter texts that users enter in the theme admin and filter category selection. Would you support things like that?

I'm not the the author, you will have to approach Flynn, I'm just a moderator

Sorry, I don't get it how this works.

I have been experimenting with a multilangual plugin called xLanguage, which has a very neat design philosophy; simply add the content in languages you require to your posts, pages, tags, categories etc.

The language is autodetected (from browser settings), or the user can select the prefered language. Now if the theme has a translation which matches with the detected (or selected) language, the theme will present itself in the same language using a .MO file.

How will Atahualpa switch from one language to another?

I'm interested on this as well, but as a newbie I get kind of lost.

I already have a blog running Atahualpa 3.4.4.
Would it be ok to just go to the Plugins section in my Wordpress control panel and install the WPML plugin?
Or do I need to go back to Atahualpa 3.4.1 to be able to use the plugin?

Good news about WPML and Atahualpa.

We've abandomed the idea of making a WPML-ready version of Atahualpa, in favor of making WPML compatible with the current Atahualpa version and future versions as well.

WPML is now built-in compatible with Atahualpa. It can translate the texts you enter in the theme's admin panel, includes matching language switchers and generally makes Atahualpa multilingual without any hacks or tweaks.

You'll need to use WPML 1.5.0 and above for that.

Amir

Great news. I will try it for sure.
Thanks for this info and for your work :-)

Hi
I'm running sites with 2.9.1 3.4.4 and 1.6.0
works extremely well thanks all for that.

Just one hack I had to apply to make blog title and home point to the appropriate urls

in bfa_get_options.php
replacing get_option('home') by icl_get_home_url()
plus some coding to avoid double trailing.

I can post the code here if of interest and OK

LifeinGalicia

Hello,
I have installed wp 2.9.2 + atahualpa 3.4.4 + wpml 1.7.1, and I use two languages: romanian and english (you may see it at http://www.jiazi.ro/). I have big problems with some widgets which are not translated to english: links and bfa_recent _comments. Can somebody help me?

Ray

lifeingalicia,
Please post the code modifications you have made, I didn't get atahualpa and WPML to work together.
Thank you very much, Ray