How to Use the Free DotNetNuke Translator for Language Packs
Creating a multilingual website in DNN (formerly DotNetNuke) often requires translating the user interface (UI) components—buttons, messages, and menus—that aren’t part of your content pages. While core language packs exist, customizing or creating new ones can be daunting.
The DNN Translator tool, a free open-source utility, streamlines this process by providing an interface to translate DNN resource files (.resx) and package them into deployable language packs. 1. Download and Install the DNN Translator Tool
The DNN Translator is a desktop application (Windows) designed to read the resource files found in the DNN framework and module directories.
Action: Download the latest version from the DNN Community GitHub repository or DNN Software documentation.
Installation: It does not require a complex installation; you can extract the files and run the .exe file. 2. Prepare Your Project
Before opening the tool, ensure you have access to the App_GlobalResources folder of your DNN installation or the source code of the modules you wish to translate.
Gather Files: The translator works best when you point it at the source files (.resx) of the DNN framework or individual modules. 3. Using the DNN Translator Tool Once you open the application, follow these steps: A. Set Up Project Settings
Open Project: Select the folder containing your source language files (usually English/en-US).
Set Target Language: Choose the language you are translating into (e.g., French/fr-FR).
Configure Pack Details: In the settings, define the author name, license type, and version number for your new language pack. B. Translate Resource Files
Scan: The tool scans the directories and lists all resource files.
Translate: Select a resource file and begin translating the strings. The tool shows the source string on one side and a box for the translation on the other.
Save: Save your progress frequently. The tool creates new .resx files formatted for the target language. C. Generate the Language Pack
After translating, the tool can package these files into a zip file that is compatible with the DNN installation wizard.
Generate Pack: Select the option to create a “Full” pack if you have translated both the framework and module files.
Output: The tool produces a .zip file, ready for installation in your DNN environment. 4. Installing the Language Pack in DNN Once you have the .zip file from the translator tool: Log in to your DNN site as a Host or Super User. Navigate to Extensions under the Admin menu. Click Install Extension Wizard. Upload the .zip file created by the translator tool. Follow the prompts to install the new language. Summary Table: DNN Translator Features Description Source File Reading Scans .resx files in DNN frameworks/modules. Translation Interface Side-by-side editing of English to target language. Pack Generation Creates .zip files ready for DNN Install wizard. Full Pack Support Packages both core framework and module translations.
By using this tool, you can efficiently create, edit, and maintain custom language packs for your DotNetNuke installation, enhancing accessibility for your users. Need to know more?
If you’d like to learn how to enable content localization (translating page content rather than the UI) in the DNN UI, I can explain the Content Localization steps.
If you’d like to download existing community-maintained language packs instead of creating your own, I can point you to the DNN Language Packs repo. a new translation tool for DotNetNuke – DNN Software