Why should we use JoomFish in Joomla! 2.5, if Joomla! 2.5 provides multilingual support?

Question

I am new to Joomla!. My question is:

I installed JoomFish alpha version successfully. If Joomla! 2.5 has multilingual support then why we should go for JoomFish?

What is main difference between JoomFish and Joomla! 2.5 multilingual that will prompt people to go for JoomFish?

Answer 1

JoomFish isn't yet available for Joomla! 2.5, but the answer to the question is:

Joomla! 2.5 does indeed allow multi-lingual support in a native form, but you have to duplicate everything (every menu, create a homepage for each language, etc). The main problem in this approach (for me) is that if you plan to have a site with the same structure for each language, and if you make several changes to the main language (adding more menus, for instance), you will have to make those changes to every language!

What JoomFish does is use the same structure for all elements in the site (menus, articles, sections, etc). It is very good for a site with the same structure for every language. For example: if you hide one menu, it is hidden in every language.

So, in conclusion:

• If you plan to have a multi-language site with custom/different structures for each language, then I recommend using the native multi-language technique of Joomla! 2.5;

• If you plan to have the same structure for each language and especially if that structure is very big, I recommend using (when/if it is available) JoomFish.

A new extension is behing developed, very simmilar to JoomFish, it's called FaLang: http://extensions.joomla.org/extensions/languages/multi-lingual-content/18210

Answer 2

Joomla only allows you to install language packs and configure them, it doesnt allow you to translate your content. It will however translate the pre built in content for example the login form and so on. JoomFish allows you to translate your custom content into any language you have installed on your site.

Answer 3

I can't comment on posts but want to point out that the last answer which states that Joomla doesn't allow you to translate content is wrong. Native translation ability was introduced in 1.6

There is no real need to use Joomfish in recent versions of Joomla which would explain it's development grinding to a snails pace. It's main draw back is that it creates duplicate pages for every single article. There is no way to turn them off. For example, if you have the main site translated into a couple of languages but also have a blog that you only add article in 1 language on, those articles will exist in the other language as well but will show either the original content or a message saying no content available.

There are better components that work with native Joomla multi-language like Josetta. It adds a translation interface on the frontend where your translators can login and check the translation status. When articles are translated it sets up the menu item with associations to the other language versions. If something is not translated then there is no duplicate page.

The other problem with Joomfish is that the extra database queries can really slow down a site.

Answer 4

Native Joomla language system works as filter, in extensions that implement it each item is marked with a language and then only items that are marked as "All languages" or as the active language will be shown. Also you need to have separate menus and categories for each language. This works fine if you have independend structures for each language, e.g. only part of your content is transalted into secod or third language.

What JoomFish (also LanternFish http://joogpot.eu/lanternfish that is an advanced/bugfixed version compatible also with joomla 3) does it create identical structure for each language (as already described in another answer here) and then maps originals with translations, so it always knows which item is transaltion of another one. This allows for user to go directly from an article in one language to the same article in another language and this works the same for all basic things like menus, categories etc. For eaxmple user can go directly from example.com/jooomla/images to german example.com/joomla/bilder with one click on the flag icon, while native Joomla solution would take you to the german page frontend in the same situation.

Answer 5

From this great post you could see there are different ways of doing translation in Joomla 2.5

• Joomla 2.5 integrated system
• Josetta for Joomla 2.5
• Joomfish for Joomla 1.5
• Falang for Joomla 2.5

Systems 1 & 2 rely on having "Double Content" within the content management system (Assuming bilingual systems).

Systems 3 & 4 replace the strings/text rather than doubling up on content within the CMS. The translations are recorded in the external component separately from the original content.