How to route a multiple language URL with a MVC

Question

I need multi language url route of existing controller. let's explain more:

I have a controller with name "Product" and View with name "Software", therefore by default if user enter "http://mysite.com/en/Product/Software" ,get right content (that really exist in http://mysite.com/Product/Software),

but i need if other user (french user) type "http://mysite.com/fr/Produits/logiciels", must get above controller and show with right content (same http://mysite.com/Product/Software but with french text).

Note: I set route table with "{language}/{controller}/{action}/{id}"

any other invalid url must show 404 page

Is it possible?

Help me.

Thanks

Answer 1

You should have url something like "http://mysite.com/en/Product/Software" for English and "http://mysite.com/fr/Product/Software" for French, which would make much sense.

Use the same view for both.

Happy coding.

Answer 2

As has been suggested before, this does depart from convention where the website urls (and routes) use English.

Nevertheless, it is possible, but in order to do it, you'll probably have to look at generating one route per action for every foreign language. So for a website with 20 actions and three languages (English, French, and German), you'll need 41 routes (20 French, 20 German and 1 English). Not the most efficient system, I admit, but it works as you want it to.

//You'll only need one of these, which is the default.
routes.MapRoute(
  "English route",
  "en/{controller}/{action}/{id}"
  new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", language = "en" },
);

routes.MapRoute(
  "FrenchHome",
  "fr/Demarrer/Index/{id}",
  new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", language = "fr" }
);

routes.MapRoute(
  "GermanHome",
  "de/Heim/Index/{id}", //'Heim' is, I believe the correct usage of Home in German.
  new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", language = "de" }
);

//Some more routes...

routes.MapRoute(
  "FrenchSoftware",
  "fr/Produit/Logiciels/{id}",
  new { controller = "Product", action = "Software", language = "fr" }
);

routes.MapRoute(
  "GermanSoftware",
  "de/Produkt/Software/{id}", //In this instance, Software should be the same in German and English.
  new { controller = "Product", action = "Software", language = "de" }
);

//And finally, the 404 action.
routes.MapRoute(
  "Catchall",
  "{language}/{*catchall}",
  new { controller = "Home", action = "PageNotFound", language = "en" },
  new { language = "^(en|fr|de)$" }
);

//This is for the folks who didn't put a language in their url.
routes.MapRoute(
  "Catchall",
  "{*catchall}",
  new { controller = "Home", action = "PageNotFound", language = "en" }
);

In your actions, for example Product/Software...

public ActionResult Software(string language, int id)
{
  //This would go off to the DAL and get the content in whatever language you want.
  ProductModel model = ProductService.GetSoftware(language, id);

  return View(model);
}

I would LOVE it if somebody came along and said that there's a better way of doing this, because I agree that having the url in a foreign language isn't good, and given that the Internet itself is moving towards allowing non-Roman characters in urls, the sooner we look at solutions to this, the better.

Not only that, but I know proud French people don't like to see their website urls contain English. :)

Answer 3

Here's the way to go: Maarten Balliauw's blog
Hope it helps