Localizing and Translating WordPress Plugins

gistfile1.md

1. Load the Text Domain

add_action( 'init', array($this, 'vimeography_load_text_domain') );

public function vimeography_load_text_domain() {
  load_plugin_textdomain('vimeography', false, dirname( VIMEOGRAPHY_BASENAME ) . '/languages/');
}

2. Localize Strings

__('Edit Settings', 'vimeography)

3. Open POedit

• File->New
• Select base plugin language (E.G., English)
• File->Save as vimeography.pot
• Catalog->Properties
• Add project name, email address
• Add Sources Paths (E.G., Base path: ../ and Paths: .)
• Add Sources Keywords __ and _e

4. Add Translations and Save file

German: vimeography-de_DE.po

This will automatically generate the vimeography-de_DE.mo file as well.

5. Download the WP language file

You can find this at the WordPress language repository. http://i18n.svn.wordpress.org/ de_DE/trunk/messages/de_DE.mo

Save it to wp-content/languages/

6. Add the language to wp-config.php

define('WPLANG', 'de_DE');

To Update Strings

Open the vimeography.pot default translation file in POedit and choose Catalog->Update from Sources