Chris: Thanks for the suggestion - I have peeked through Smarty - not bad - but it seems that the designer would still need to learn a different syntax. That is not an issue for this application however - I have really no need for separating the template and the code, since the template is already modifiable through an administration of configs, the problem is strictly the text modifications.
>From what I see in Smarty (and granted I have not spent hours going through the docs, just the high level here) I would still have the problem of creating an interface for the 'merchant' to modify their text in, then stream that text out to a file.... If that is what it ends up being - I am cool with that and can do it - I was hoping that there may be some convention for doing this that I missed somewhere (i.e. Using regex to do the text replacements, using SED to do them or something like that) But thanks for the suggestion! On 7/22/03 5:03 PM, "Chris Hubbard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Mike, > the easiest way to do this would be to use smarty. (smarty.php.net) > abstract out your language specific strings into a file that is called by > the template. Use a variable to define the language and use an assign to > dynamically change the language file in the template. > > Then build a function that displays a form, one input box per string, that > then writes to the language specific string file. > Chris > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mike Morton [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 12:39 PM > To: PHP List > Subject: [PHP] Localization and Customization of Application > > > I am building a shopping cart application similar to OS Commerce. I am > trying to build it for expansion and customization right from the start, so > I have decided to start from the beginning with localization support. > > Basically, I have a file for each shopping cart 'section' that contains the > text labels as constants: > define('CART_TITLE',"Shopping Cart"); > define('CART_PAGETEXT',"Click on 'Continue Shopping' to return to the > website and continue your shopping. Click on 'Empty Cart' to clear out all > the products currently in your shopping cart. Click on \"Checkout\" to fill > out your billing information and complete your order."); > define('CART_SKU',"Sku"); > define('CART_NAME',"Name"); > define('CART_QTY',"Qty"); > define('CART_PRICE',"Price"); > define('CART_EXT',"Ext."); > define('CART_DELETE',"del"); > define('CART_EDIT',"edit"); > > The merchant has an administration where they can edit any label in the > shopping cart to be the language of their choice, or to just change a label > to be more customized to their needs. > > In the past, I have always done this with databases, i.e. CART_TITLE is a > database field that gets loaded in the shoppingcart page, and the value is > the label. > > The trouble that I am having conceptually right now is how to make a user > interface to modify the text files that define the labels without making the > merchant download, modify and then upload the file. That would involve > 'teaching' them how to do it properly - the whole purpose of this > application is that it is supposed to be easy for ANYONE to use, no HTML or > programming experience necessary. > > My first inclination is in the adminitration, to load the label file as an > array, and split out the fields for editing, then after validation, re-write > the label file using streams. > > I guess I am wondering if anyone has a more elegant solution than this? > User interface in the administration is the key here, and the method above > leaves some UI questions such as 'when viewing the administration page, how > can the user relate the label called CART_EDIT to the edit button in the > cart page?' > > If anyone has some experience in doing this, I would appreciate any > tips/insights, or even recommendations on whether this is a good way of > localizing the application! > > TIA! > -- > Cheers > > Mike Morton > > **************************************************** > * > * Tel: 905-465-1263 > * Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > * > **************************************************** > > "Indeed, it would not be an exaggeration to describe the history of the > computer industry for the past decade as a massive effort to keep up with > Apple." > - Byte Magazine > > Given infinite time, 100 monkeys could type out the complete works of > Shakespeare. Win 98 source code? Eight monkeys, five minutes. > -- NullGrey > > > -- > PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php > -- Cheers Mike Morton **************************************************** * * Tel: 905-465-1263 * Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * **************************************************** "Indeed, it would not be an exaggeration to describe the history of the computer industry for the past decade as a massive effort to keep up with Apple." - Byte Magazine Given infinite time, 100 monkeys could type out the complete works of Shakespeare. Win 98 source code? Eight monkeys, five minutes. -- NullGrey -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
