Globalization - Optimizely CMS 12

Exam Area: Area 1 – Product Knowledge (15%) Reference: https://docs.developers.optimizely.com/content-management-system/docs/globalization

---

1. Globalization Overview

Globalization in CMS 12 means supporting multiple languages for content. Each content item can exist in multiple language branches — one per enabled language.

Content item: "About Us" page
  ├── en (English)   [Published]
  ├── sv (Swedish)   [Draft]
  └── de (German)    [Not created]

---

2. Enabling Languages

Admin UI → Websites → [Site] → Languages
  → Add: Swedish (sv)  [enabled: ✅]
  → Add: German (de)   [enabled: ✅]
  → Master Language: English (en)

// In code — check available languages
var languages = _languageBranchRepository.ListEnabled();
foreach (var lang in languages)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{lang.Name}: {lang.LanguageID}");
}

---

3. Language Fallback

If content is not yet translated, CMS can fall back to another language:

Page "About Us" has:
  en: Published
  sv: Not created

Visitor arrives at /sv/about-us/
  → No Swedish version → fall back to en (if fallback is configured)
  → OR show 404 (if no fallback)

// Configure language fallback in appsettings.json
{
  "EPiServer": {
    "CMS": {
      "Languages": [
        { "Language": "sv", "FallbackLanguages": ["en"] }
      ]
    }
  }
}

---

4. Master Language

The Master Language is the language in which content is first created. Properties that have [LanguageSpecific] attribute can differ per language branch. Properties without this attribute are shared across all language branches.

---

5. LanguageSpecific vs Shared Properties

public class ArticlePage : PageData
{
    // Language-specific — each language has its own value
    [Display(Name = "Heading")]
    public virtual string Heading { get; set; }       // ← Auto language-specific for string

    // Shared across all languages — only one value
    [CultureSpecific(false)]
    [Display(Name = "Article Date")]
    public virtual DateTime ArticleDate { get; set; }

    // Explicitly language-specific
    [CultureSpecific]
    [Display(Name = "Hero Image")]
    public virtual ContentReference HeroImage { get; set; }
}

Default rule: Most property types are language-specific by default in CMS 12. Use [CultureSpecific(false)] to make a property shared.

---

6. ILanguageBranchRepository

// Access enabled languages
public class LanguageService
{
    private readonly ILanguageBranchRepository _languageRepo;

    public LanguageService(ILanguageBranchRepository languageRepo)
    {
        _languageRepo = languageRepo;
    }

    public IEnumerable<LanguageBranch> GetEnabledLanguages()
        => _languageRepo.ListEnabled();

    public LanguageBranch GetLanguage(string languageId)
        => _languageRepo.Load(languageId);
}

---

7. Loading Content in a Specific Language

// Load a specific language version
var swedishPage = _contentLoader.Get<ArticlePage>(
    contentRef,
    new LanguageSelector("sv"));

// Load all language versions
var allVersions = _contentLoader.GetAllLanguageVersions(contentRef);

---

8. Language Routing

URL structure per language depends on site configuration:

---

9. Translation Workflow

English page published
  → Add Swedish translation:
       Edit View → Language selector → "Add translation" (sv)
       → Edit Swedish content
       → Publish Swedish version
  → Swedish and English versions are independent
  → Can have different publish states per language

---

Review Questions

1. What is the Master Language in CMS? (The language in which content is first created; typically the fallback for other languages)
2. How do you load a content item in a specific language? (_contentLoader.Get<T>(ref, new LanguageSelector("sv")))
3. What attribute makes a property shared across all language branches? ([CultureSpecific(false)])
4. What happens when a visitor requests a page that hasn't been translated yet (if fallback is configured)? (CMS serves the fallback language version)
5. Which interface lists all enabled language branches? (ILanguageBranchRepository)