Providing a site in more than one language is basically pretty simple as long as you have only HTML. From the moment you are using a mixure of static text and dynamic content it get's a bit tricky.

The Joom!Fish component is a generic solution that helps you to keep track of your translation process and the dynamic content which shall be translated within your site. The Joom!Fish is the new version of the component formally known as MambelFish. It integrates the whole functionallity of the older versions.

Joom!Fish and what it is

The key features of the fish are:

• Possibility for an unlimited amount of languages
• Possibility to MANUAL translate all dynamic content of your Joomla! installation in ONE database

• Overview of the changed contents in the Translation list
• Support for all the core and 3rd Party components/modules of Joomla!
• Free configuration for translations or fields within the database (XML content element files description)

• Frontend component for language selection
• Frontend translation

Joom!Fish for template designers & site admins

The fish is basically running within a special modus that does not affect any for the styles or anything else of your standard template. The only thing you need to do is to include the Jomm!Fish module in one of your positions.

However there are some techniques, tricks and solutions to achieve certain behavior of your site. You can find a complete list in our "How to section ":

• How to install Joom!Fish on a Joomla! 1.0.x site?
• How to translate content in the frontend?
  
• How to use language dependent menu items / menus & content ?
• How to use language dependent images?

For developers:

The key things to remember for Joomfish are:

• Use the official Joomla database API - don't use any direct calls to mysql functions etc.
• Make sure there is a primary key or index for each table where you want a translation
• Make sure that DB SELECT statements include the primary key (even if you make no reference to the result or use it in the selection (Joomfish uses this data to find the translation!)