# Language & Internationalization (i18n) Implementation
## Overview
This document describes the implementation of multi-language support for the Orion platform. The system supports four languages (English, French, German, Luxembourgish) with flexible configuration at store, user, and customer levels.
## Supported Languages
| Code | Language | Native Name | Flag |
|------|----------|-------------|------|
| `en` | English | English | GB |
| `fr` | French | Francais | FR |
| `de` | German | Deutsch | DE |
| `lb` | Luxembourgish | Letzebuerg | LU |
**Default Language**: French (`fr`) - reflecting the Luxembourg market context.
## Database Changes
### Migration: `fcfdc02d5138_add_language_settings_to_store_user_customer`
#### Stores Table
New columns added to `stores`:
```sql
ALTER TABLE stores ADD COLUMN default_language VARCHAR(5) NOT NULL DEFAULT 'fr';
ALTER TABLE stores ADD COLUMN dashboard_language VARCHAR(5) NOT NULL DEFAULT 'fr';
ALTER TABLE stores ADD COLUMN storefront_language VARCHAR(5) NOT NULL DEFAULT 'fr';
ALTER TABLE stores ADD COLUMN storefront_languages JSON NOT NULL DEFAULT '["fr", "de", "en"]';
```
| Column | Type | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| `default_language` | VARCHAR(5) | Fallback language for content when translation unavailable |
| `dashboard_language` | VARCHAR(5) | Default UI language for store dashboard |
| `storefront_language` | VARCHAR(5) | Default language for customer-facing shop |
| `storefront_languages` | JSON | Array of enabled languages for storefront selector |
#### Users Table
```sql
ALTER TABLE users ADD COLUMN preferred_language VARCHAR(5) NULL;
```
| Column | Type | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| `preferred_language` | VARCHAR(5) | User's preferred dashboard language (overrides store setting) |
#### Customers Table
```sql
ALTER TABLE customers ADD COLUMN preferred_language VARCHAR(5) NULL;
```
| Column | Type | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| `preferred_language` | VARCHAR(5) | Customer's preferred shop language (overrides store setting) |
## Architecture
### Language Resolution Flow
#### Store Dashboard
```
User preferred_language
|
v (if not set)
Store dashboard_language
|
v (if not set)
System DEFAULT_LANGUAGE (fr)
```
#### Storefront
```
Customer preferred_language
|
v (if not set)
Session/Cookie language
|
v (if not set)
Store storefront_language
|
v (if not set)
Browser Accept-Language header
|
v (if not supported)
System DEFAULT_LANGUAGE (fr)
```
### Files Created/Modified
#### New Files
| File | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `app/utils/i18n.py` | Core i18n utilities, translation loading, language resolution |
| `middleware/language.py` | Language detection middleware |
| `app/api/v1/shared/language.py` | Language API endpoints |
| `app/templates/shared/macros/language_selector.html` | UI components for language selection |
| `static/locales/en.json` | English translations |
| `static/locales/fr.json` | French translations |
| `static/locales/de.json` | German translations |
| `static/locales/lb.json` | Luxembourgish translations |
#### Modified Files
| File | Changes |
|------|---------|
| `models/database/store.py` | Added language settings columns |
| `models/database/user.py` | Added `preferred_language` column |
| `models/database/customer.py` | Added `preferred_language` column |
| `models/schema/store.py` | Added language fields to Pydantic schemas |
| `models/schema/auth.py` | Added `preferred_language` to user schemas |
| `models/schema/customer.py` | Added `preferred_language` to customer schemas |
| `main.py` | Registered LanguageMiddleware |
| `app/api/main.py` | Registered language API router |
## API Endpoints
### Language API (`/api/v1/language`)
| Endpoint | Method | Description |
|----------|--------|-------------|
| `/api/v1/language/set` | POST | Set language preference (cookie) |
| `/api/v1/language/current` | GET | Get current language info |
| `/api/v1/language/list` | GET | List all available languages |
| `/api/v1/language/clear` | DELETE | Clear language preference |
### Request/Response Examples
#### Set Language
```http
POST /api/v1/language/set
Content-Type: application/json
{
"language": "de"
}
```
Response:
```json
{
"success": true,
"language": "de",
"message": "Language set to Deutsch"
}
```
## Translation Files
Translation files are stored in `static/locales/{lang}.json` with the following structure:
```json
{
"common": {
"save": "Save",
"cancel": "Cancel"
},
"auth": {
"login": "Login",
"logout": "Logout"
},
"nav": {
"dashboard": "Dashboard",
"products": "Products"
}
}
```
### Key Naming Convention
- Use dot notation for nested keys: `common.save`, `auth.login`
- Use snake_case for key names: `product_name`, `order_status`
- Group by feature/section: `products.add_product`, `orders.confirm_order`
## Template Integration
### Using Translations in Jinja2
```jinja2
{# Import the translation function #}
{% from 'shared/macros/language_selector.html' import language_selector %}
{# Use translation function #}
{{ _('common.save') }}
{# With interpolation #}
{{ _('welcome.message', name=user.name) }}
{# Language selector component #}
{{ language_selector(
current_language=request.state.language,
enabled_languages=store.storefront_languages
) }}
```
### Request State Variables
The LanguageMiddleware sets these on `request.state`:
| Variable | Type | Description |
|----------|------|-------------|
| `language` | str | Resolved language code |
| `language_info` | dict | Additional info (source, cookie value, browser value) |
## Middleware Order
The LanguageMiddleware must run **after** ContextMiddleware (to know the context type) and **before** ThemeContextMiddleware.
Execution order (request flow):
1. LoggingMiddleware
2. StoreContextMiddleware
3. ContextMiddleware
4. **LanguageMiddleware** <-- Detects language
5. ThemeContextMiddleware
6. FastAPI Router
## UI Components
### Full Language Selector
```jinja2
{{ language_selector(
current_language='fr',
enabled_languages=['fr', 'de', 'en'],
position='right',
show_label=true
) }}
```
### Compact Selector (Flag Only)
```jinja2
{{ language_selector_compact(
current_language='fr',
enabled_languages=['fr', 'de', 'en']
) }}
```
### Language Settings Form
For store settings pages:
```jinja2
{{ language_settings_form(
current_settings={
'default_language': store.default_language,
'dashboard_language': store.dashboard_language,
'storefront_language': store.storefront_language,
'storefront_languages': store.storefront_languages
}
) }}
```
## Flag Icons
The language selector uses [flag-icons](https://flagicons.lipis.dev/) CSS library. Ensure this is included in your base template:
```html
```
Usage: `` for French flag.
## Testing
### Manual Testing Checklist
- [ ] Language cookie is set when selecting language
- [ ] Page reloads with correct language after selection
- [ ] Store dashboard respects user's preferred_language
- [ ] Storefront respects customer's preferred_language
- [ ] Browser language detection works (clear cookie, use browser with different language)
- [ ] Fallback to default language works for unsupported languages
- [ ] Language selector shows only enabled languages on storefront
### API Testing
```bash
# Set language
curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/api/v1/language/set \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"language": "de"}'
# Get current language
curl http://localhost:8000/api/v1/language/current
# List languages
curl http://localhost:8000/api/v1/language/list
```
## Future Enhancements
1. **Admin Language Support**: Currently admin is English-only. The system is designed to easily add admin language support later.
2. **Translation Management UI**: Add a UI for stores to manage their own translations (product descriptions, category names, etc.).
3. **RTL Language Support**: The `is_rtl_language()` function is ready for future RTL language support (Arabic, Hebrew, etc.).
4. **Auto-Translation**: Integration with translation APIs for automatic content translation.
## Rollback
To rollback this migration:
```bash
alembic downgrade -1
```
This will remove:
- `default_language`, `dashboard_language`, `storefront_language`, `storefront_languages` from `stores`
- `preferred_language` from `users`
- `preferred_language` from `customers`