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Sublanguage

By maximeschoeni

Multilingual & Accessibility / Translation & Multilingual Management

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Sublanguage Review - In-Depth Analysis

Sublanguage is a lightweight multilanguage plugin for WordPress. It allows seamless translation of posts, terms, and attachments without duplicating content or adding extra database tables.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.74/10

User Rating

4.6/5 (based on 31+ reviews)

Active Installations

600+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Sublanguage is a multilanguage plugin for WordPress that provides an efficient way to manage translations. It avoids duplicated content by inheriting values from the main language, ensuring a clean and organized approach to multilingual sites.

This plugin does not create additional database tables, as translation data is stored in post_meta. It also does not add markup to content, making it different from other plugins like q-translate. Language is defined solely by URLs, which is beneficial for SEO.

Key features include support for Gutenberg, translation UI for various content types, and the ability to translate permalinks. The plugin supports revisions and is extendable, making it suitable for multisite environments. Documentation is available on GitHub for further guidance.

Comparing to Alternatives

Sublanguage is a lightweight and straightforward multilingual plugin that stands out for its simplicity and speed. It has several alternatives in the WordPress ecosystem that offer varying features and interfaces.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Very lightweight and fast on the frontend
Simple and minimalist interface without unnecessary options
Good support for Gutenberg block editor
Free to use with no paid version required
Recent updates indicate ongoing development and support

Weaknesses

Not suitable for average users due to lack of a fancy interface
Some issues with language switching functionality reported
Limited features compared to some premium alternatives
Does not currently support translating navigation menus created by Full Site Editor

User Sentiment Analysis

With a high overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 from 31 reviews, most users appreciate the plugin's simplicity and performance. However, a small minority report issues with language switching and occasional bugs.

Positive highlights

'Not for the average user - and that's where its GREATNESS lies' - codimex
'This is definitely the best multi-language plugin in Wordpress world.' - eddy0522
'Works perfect. Simple and minimalist, not too many options and blends in nicely.' - juhee370
'Perfecto, funciona perfectamente en versión 5.8.1.' - Aurelia Iuliana Ganea
'Almost perfect for my needs, fast and lightweight.' - herzla

Common complaints

Language switching sometimes fails and causes the page to keep loading indefinitely
Plugin was not updated for extended periods causing functionality issues

Weaknesses

Requires some technical knowledge to set up and use effectively
Lacks advanced features found in some other multilingual plugins
Occasional bugs related to query parameters and language switching

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who want a lightweight, fast, and straightforward multilingual plugin and are comfortable with some technical setup work. Ideal for developers or site owners who prefer minimalism and performance over a fancy interface.

Not ideal for

Users looking for a plugin with a polished user interface, extensive features, or those who need seamless language switching without occasional glitches. Not recommended for beginners or those needing full support for Full Site Editor navigation menus.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers a fully functional multilingual plugin that is lightweight, fast, and supports Gutenberg blocks without limitations.

Final Verdict

Sublanguage is a robust and efficient multilingual plugin that excels in simplicity and speed, making it a great choice for users who prioritize performance and minimalism. Its free availability and ongoing updates add to its appeal, especially for technically inclined users.

However, it may not be suitable for everyone due to its lack of a user-friendly interface and occasional issues with language switching. Users seeking more advanced features or seamless out-of-the-box functionality might consider exploring the available alternatives.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Sublanguage plugin.

Multilanguage

Translation

WordPress plugin

Screenshots

FAQ

In menu click on Languages, remove all language custom posts and empty trash. Deleting a language will permanently delete all translations
associated to this language. Deleting main language will not delete original posts.

Add this function in your template file

do_action('sublanguage_print_language_switch');

Add this in your function.php file and customize it:

add_action('sublanguage_custom_switch', 'my_custom_switch', 10, 2);  /**  * @param array of WP_Post language custom post  * @param Sublanguage_site $this The Sublanguage instance.  */ function my_custom_switch($languages, $sublanguage) {  ?> <ul> <?php foreach ($languages as $language) { ?>     <li class="<?php echo $language->post_name; ?> <?php if ($sublanguage->current_language->ID == $language->ID) echo 'current'; ?>">         <a href="<?php echo $sublanguage->get_translation_link($language); ?>"><?php echo $language->post_title; ?></a>     </li> <?php } ?> </ul> <?php  }

First go to Sublanguage>Settings and verify the relevant post type is set to be translatable.

Then verify you are using the proper filters in you template file.

For echoing post title, you need to ensure ´the_title´ filter is called.

// echoing post title inside the loop the_title();  // echoing post title outside the loop echo get_the_title($some_post->ID);  // but... echo $post->post_title; // -> Does not translate

For echoing post content, you need to ensure ´the_content´ filter is called.

// echoing content inside the loop the_content();  // or... echo apply_filters('the_content', get_the_content());  // but... echo $post->post_content; // -> Does not translate echo get_the_content(); // -> Does not translate  // echoing post content outside the loop: echo apply_filters('sublanguage_translate_post_field', $some_post->post_content, $some_post, 'post_content');

Same for Excerpts.

Permalinks are automatically translated, inside or outside the loop:

// echoing permalink echo get_permalink($post->ID);

Use the global $sublanguage, like this:

global $sublanguage; echo $sublanguage->current_language // -> WP_Post object echo $sublanguage->current_language->post_title; // -> Français echo $sublanguage->current_language->post_name; // -> fr echo $sublanguage->current_language->post_content; // -> fr_FR

Alternatively you can use a sublanguage filter to call a user function with $current_language value in parameters:

Function to use in your template file:

echo apply_filters('sublanguage_custom_translate', 'text to translate', 'my_custom_translation', 'optional value');

Code to add in your function.php file:

/**  * @param string $original_text. Original text to translate.  * @param WP_Post object $current_language  * @param mixed $args. Optional arguments  */ function my_custom_translation($original_text, $current_language, $optional_arg) {      if ($current_language->post_name == 'fr') {          return 'texte traduit en français!';      }      return $original_text;  }

Note: of course, for a basic usage like this, you should use the standard localization way: __('text to translate', 'my_domain').

Add this action to enqueue a small script to define values in javascript:

add_action('init', 'my_init');  function my_init() {      do_action('sublanguage_prepare_ajax');  }

This will first define a global in javascript. Use console.log(sublanguage) to explore it.

Furthermore, a small script will automatically add a language attribute in every jquery ajax call. You can change this language using sublanguage.current (in javascript). This language will be used if you need to get/update posts/terms using ajax.

You cannot export or import using the wordpress builtin tool while Sublanguage is active. It just does not work yet. But this feature will come in a future release.

If you want to create a custom importer for posts and terms, you can use these 2 functions:

do_action( 'sublanguage_import_post', $data); do_action( 'sublanguage_import_term', $taxonomy, $data);

These functions are documented in sublanguage/include/admin.php. See examples on github.

Contributors and developers

“Sublanguage” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

maximeschoeni

Free Version Docs

WPS

6.74

Average

Ratings

4.6 out of 5 | 31

Version

2.12

Last updated

10 months ago

Active installations

600+

WordPress version

6.6.10 or higher

PHP version

or higher

Languages

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Sublanguage Review - In-Depth Analysis

Performance Overview

What It Does

Comparing to Alternatives

User Sentiment Analysis

Who Should Use This?

Pricing & Value

Final Verdict

Other Notable Features

Screenshots

FAQ

Contributors and developers

Ratings

Reviews (31)

Sort by:

Contributors & Developers

Interested in development?

Changelog

Security Status

Secure

No Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Known Vulnerabilities (0)

Previous Versions

WPS

6.74

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wpLingua – Automatic translation – Translate and make website multilingual

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xili-language