[edit] How to Access

Select Extensions → Language Manager from the drop-down menu on the back-end of your Joomla! installation or click the icon Language in the control center.

[edit] Description

In the Language Manager you can set the default Language for both the Front-end and Back-end of your Joomla! web site.

[edit] Screenshot

[edit] Column Headers

The Installed tab has the following column titles. These details are fetched from the XML file included in the language pack.

• Num. An indexing number automatically assigned by Joomla! for ease of reference.

• Checkbox. Check this box to select one or more items. To select all items, check the box in the column heading. After one or more boxes are checked, click a toolbar button to take an action on the selected item or items. Many toolbar actions, such as Publish and Unpublish, can work with multiple items. Others, such as Edit, only work on one item at a time. If multiple items are checked and you press Edit, the first item will be opened for editing.

• Language. Item language.
• Default. The default language of the site, marked with a yellow graphical asterisk in this column. Note: to every user a language can be assigned (see "User Management"), user from groups "Administrator" and "Super Administrator" can select their preferred language themself at login.
• Version. The version number of the installed language.
• Date. The creation date of the language.
• Author. The name of the language translator is displayed in this column.
• Author E-mail. The e-mail address of the translator.

[edit] Toolbar

At the top right you will see the toolbar:

• Default. Select the Language that you want to be the default Language. Then click this button. The default star symbol will show in the Default column, indicating that this is now the default Language.
• Options. Opens the Language Manager Options window. Allows setting of default permissions used for all content in this component.

• Help. Opens this Help Screen.

[edit] Installed and Content Tabs

At the top left, above the columns, you will see two links as shown below:

• Installed. Shows the Languages available for the Front-end of the web site or administrator area, depending on the filter location at left that is current.
• Content. Shows the Content Languages available for the web site. See Extensions Language Manager Content.

[edit] Quick Tips

• Users can use any Language from the list of installed Languages, either by having it assigned in the User Manager or by filling out a Menu Item Manager - New/Edit - User Form Layout at the Front end. This will cause the Joomla! system prompts to be generated in this Language just for this User. For example, if a User chooses Spanish as their language, then the Search Module will show with prompts in Spanish.
• This User's choice is not affected by the Default Language set for the Front-end.

• Changing a User's Language or the Default Language does not affect the web site's Articles and other content.

• Important: Do not delete the default language files (for example, with FTP). This will create errors on both the Front-end and Back-end.

• Additional Languages can be added using the Extension Manager - Install Screen.

• If desired, you can show the Front-end site in one Language and show the Back-end administration pages in a different Language. Also, individual articles can be configured to use a different language in the Advanced Parameter pane when editing the Article.

[edit] Related Information

• To install more Languages: Extension Manager - Install Screen
• To uninstall a Language: Extension Manager - Manage
• To change the Language for a User: User Manager - New/Edit
• To set the Language of an Article: Article Manager - New/Edit - Parameters - Advanced