When users set their language preferences within their My Site, many expect translation to occur across all of SharePoint. The reality is that this will change certain aspects of SharePoint, but not page text or content within custom Web Parts. While the multi-lingual aspects of SharePoint 2013 are robust (variations, machine translation, etc.), there is a core limitation that affects the switch to the user language.
If you open the developer tools in IE, you will find that SharePoint sets the page language to English (ex. html lang=”en-US”) by default even if your preferred language is different. This is highly problematic if you, for example, serve up both English and Spanish content to one page and only show the content via the language you want. This requires some CSS tagging, but is a nice option versus a full site variation.
To accomplish the switch, I developed the following script, which can be run via the XML Viewer Web Part method mentioned here. This script provides a dictionary of key/value pairs for each LCID referenced by Microsoft, detects the users preferred language, appends an ID to the core <html> tag for reference, and then changes to the preferred language. All of these activities occur post DOM load, as the default language tag of “en-US” needs to be set first.
¡buena suerte!
HTML file/code to be referenced by XML Viewer Web Part (I placed the JavaScript and HTML file in SiteAssets):
<?xmlversion="1.0"encoding="utf-8"?> <!--Supporting JavaScript Files--> <scriptsrc="../SiteAssets/switchLanguage.js"></script>JavaScript file/code referenced by HTML file:
SP.SOD.executeFunc("sp.js", 'SP.ClientContext', switchLanguage);
function switchLanguage() { var language = { 54: 'af', 1078: 'af-ZA', 28: 'sq', 1052: 'sq-AL', 132: 'gsw', 1156: 'gsw-FR', 94: 'am', 1118: 'am-ET', 1: 'ar', 5121: 'ar-DZ', 15361: 'ar-BH', 3073: 'ar-EG', 2049: 'ar-IQ', 11265: 'ar-JO', 13313: 'ar-KW', 12289: 'ar-LB', 4097: 'ar-LY', 6145: 'ar-MA', 8193: 'ar-OM', 16385: 'ar-QA', 1025: 'ar-SA', 10241: 'ar-SY', 7169: 'ar-TN', 14337: 'ar-AE', 9217: 'ar-YE', 43: 'hy', 1067: 'hy-AM', 77: 'as', 1101: 'as-IN', 29740: 'az-Cyrl', 2092: 'az-Cyrl-AZ', 44: 'az', 30764: 'az-Latn', 1068: 'az-Latn-AZ', 69: 'bn', 2117: 'bn-BD', 1093: 'bn-IN', 109: 'ba', 1133: 'ba-RU', 45: 'eu', 1069: 'eu-ES', 35: 'be', 1059: 'be-BY', 25626: 'bs-Cyrl', 8218: 'bs-Cyrl-BA', 26650: 'bs-Latn', 30746: 'bs', 5146: 'bs-Latn-BA', 126: 'br', 1150: 'br-FR', 2: 'bg', 1026: 'bg-BG', 85: 'my', 1109: 'my-MM', 3: 'ca', 1027: 'ca-ES', 146: 'ku', 31890: 'ku-Arab', 1170: 'ku-Arab-IQ', 92: 'chr', 31836: 'chr-Cher', 1116: 'chr-Cher-US', 4: 'zh-Hans', 30724: 'zh', 2052: 'zh-CN', 4100: 'zh-SG', 31748: 'zh-Hant', 3076: 'zh-HK', 5124: 'zh-MO', 1028: 'zh-TW', 131: 'co', 1155: 'co-FR', 26: 'bs, hr, or sr', 1050: 'hr-HR', 4122: 'hr-BA', 5: 'cs', 1029: 'cs-CZ', 6: 'da', 1030: 'da-DK', 140: 'prs', 1164: 'prs-AF', 101: 'dv', 1125: 'dv-MV', 19: 'nl', 2067: 'nl-BE', 1043: 'nl-NL', 9: 'en', 3081: 'en-AU', 10249: 'en-BZ', 4105: 'en-CA', 9225: 'en-029', 15369: 'en-HK', 16393: 'en-IN', 6153: 'en-IE', 8201: 'en-JM', 17417: 'en-MY', 5129: 'en-NZ', 13321: 'en-PH', 18441: 'en-SG', 7177: 'en-ZA', 11273: 'en-TT', 2057: 'en-GB', 1033: 'en-US', 12297: 'en-ZW', 37: 'et', 1061: 'et-EE', 56: 'fo', 1080: 'fo-FO', 100: 'fil', 1124: 'fil-PH', 11: 'fi', 1035: 'fi-FI', 12: 'fr', 2060: 'fr-BE', 11276: 'fr-CM', 3084: 'fr-CA', 9228: 'fr-CD', 12300: 'fr-CI', 1036: 'fr-FR', 15372: 'fr-HT', 5132: 'fr-LU', 13324: 'fr-ML', 14348: 'fr-MA', 6156: 'fr-MC', 8204: 'fr-RE', 10252: 'fr-SN', 4108: 'fr-CH', 98: 'fy', 1122: 'fy-NL', 103: 'ff', 31847: 'ff-Latn', 2151: 'ff-Latn-SN', 86: 'gl', 1110: 'gl-ES', 55: 'ka', 1079: 'ka-GE', 7: 'de', 3079: 'de-AT', 1031: 'de-DE', 5127: 'de-LI', 4103: 'de-LU', 2055: 'de-CH', 8: 'el', 1032: 'el-GR', 111: 'kl', 1135: 'kl-GL', 116: 'gn', 1140: 'gn-PY', 71: 'gu', 1095: 'gu-IN', 104: 'ha', 31848: 'ha-Latn', 1128: 'ha-Latn-NG', 117: 'haw', 1141: 'haw-US', 13: 'he', 1037: 'he-IL', 57: 'hi', 1081: 'hi-IN', 14: 'hu', 1038: 'hu-HU', 15: 'is', 1039: 'is-IS', 112: 'ig', 1136: 'ig-NG', 33: 'id', 1057: 'id-ID', 93: 'iu', 31837: 'iu-Latn', 2141: 'iu-Latn-CA', 30813: 'iu-Cans', 1117: 'iu-Cans-CA', 60: 'ga', 2108: 'ga-IE', 16: 'it', 1040: 'it-IT', 2064: 'it-CH', 17: 'ja', 1041: 'ja-JP', 4096: 'jv', 4096: 'jv-Latn', 4096: 'jv-Latn-ID', 134: 'qut', 1158: 'qut-GT', 75: 'kn', 1099: 'kn-IN', 63: 'kk', 1087: 'kk-KZ', 83: 'km', 1107: 'km-KH', 135: 'rw', 1159: 'rw-RW', 65: 'sw', 1089: 'sw-KE', 87: 'kok', 1111: 'kok-IN', 18: 'ko', 1042: 'ko-KR', 64: 'ky', 1088: 'ky-KG', 84: 'lo', 1108: 'lo-LA', 38: 'lv', 1062: 'lv-LV', 39: 'lt', 1063: 'lt-LT', 31790: 'dsb', 2094: 'dsb-DE', 110: 'lb', 1134: 'lb-LU', 47: 'mk', 1071: 'mk-MK', 4096: 'mg', 4096: 'mg-MG', 62: 'ms', 2110: 'ms-BN', 1086: 'ms-MY', 76: 'ml', 1100: 'ml-IN', 58: 'mt', 1082: 'mt-MT', 129: 'mi', 1153: 'mi-NZ', 122: 'arn', 1146: 'arn-CL', 78: 'mr', 1102: 'mr-IN', 124: 'moh', 1148: 'moh-CA', 80: 'mn', 30800: 'mn-Cyrl', 1104: 'mn-MN', 31824: 'mn-Mong', 2128: 'mn-Mong-CN', 4096: 'nqo', 4096: 'nqo-GN', 97: 'ne', 2145: 'ne-IN', 1121: 'ne-NP', 20: 'no', 31764: 'nb', 1044: 'nb-NO', 30740: 'nn', 2068: 'nn-NO', 130: 'oc', 1154: 'oc-FR', 72: 'or', 1096: 'or-IN', 114: 'om', 1138: 'om-ET', 99: 'ps', 1123: 'ps-AF', 41: 'fa', 1065: 'fa-IR', 21: 'pl', 1045: 'pl-PL', 22: 'pt', 4096: 'pt-AO', 1046: 'pt-BR', 2070: 'pt-PT', 1281: 'qps-ploc', 1534: 'qps-ploca', 2559: 'qps-plocm', 70: 'pa', 31814: 'pa-Arab', 1094: 'pa-IN', 2118: 'pa-Arab-PK', 107: 'quz', 1131: 'quz-BO', 2155: 'quz-EC', 3179: 'quz-PE', 24: 'ro', 2072: 'ro-MD', 1048: 'ro-RO', 23: 'rm', 1047: 'rm-CH', 25: 'ru', 1049: 'ru-RU', 133: 'sah', 1157: 'sah-RU', 28731: 'smn', 9275: 'smn-FI', 31803: 'smj', 4155: 'smj-NO', 5179: 'smj-SE', 59: 'se', 3131: 'se-FI', 1083: 'se-NO', 2107: 'se-SE', 29755: 'sms', 8251: 'sms-FI', 30779: 'sma', 6203: 'sma-NO', 7227: 'sma-SE', 79: 'sa', 1103: 'sa-IN', 145: 'gd', 1169: 'gd-GB', 27674: 'sr-Cyrl', 7194: 'sr-Cyrl-BA', 12314: 'sr-Cyrl-ME', 10266: 'sr-Cyrl-RS', 3098: 'sr-Cyrl-CS', 28698: 'sr-Latn', 31770: 'sr', 6170: 'sr-Latn-BA', 11290: 'sr-Latn-ME', 9242: 'sr-Latn-RS', 2074: 'sr-Latn-CS', 108: 'nso', 1132: 'nso-ZA', 50: 'tn', 2098: 'tn-BW', 1074: 'tn-ZA', 4096: 'sn', 4096: 'sn-Latn', 4096: 'sn-Latn-ZW', 89: 'sd', 31833: 'sd-Arab', 2137: 'sd-Arab-PK', 91: 'si', 1115: 'si-LK', 27: 'sk', 1051: 'sk-SK', 36: 'sl', 1060: 'sl-SI', 119: 'so', 1143: 'so-SO', 48: 'st', 1072: 'st-ZA', 10: 'es', 11274: 'es-AR', 8202: 'es-VE', 16394: 'es-BO', 13322: 'es-CL', 9226: 'es-CO', 5130: 'es-CR', 7178: 'es-DO', 12298: 'es-EC', 17418: 'es-SV', 4106: 'es-GT', 18442: 'es-HN', 22538: 'es-419', 2058: 'es-MX', 19466: 'es-NI', 6154: 'es-PA', 15370: 'es-PY', 10250: 'es-PE', 20490: 'es-PR', 1034: 'es-ES_tradnl', 3082: 'es-ES', 21514: 'es-US', 14346: 'es-UY', 4096: 'zgh', 4096: 'zgh-Tfng-MA', 4096: 'zgh-Tfng', 29: 'sv', 2077: 'sv-FI', 1053: 'sv-SE', 90: 'syr', 1114: 'syr-SY', 40: 'tg', 31784: 'tg-Cyrl', 1064: 'tg-Cyrl-TJ', 95: 'tzm', 31839: 'tzm-Latn', 2143: 'tzm-Latn-DZ', 73: 'ta', 1097: 'ta-IN', 2121: 'ta-LK', 68: 'tt', 1092: 'tt-RU', 74: 'te', 1098: 'te-IN', 30: 'th', 1054: 'th-TH', 81: 'bo', 1105: 'bo-CN', 115: 'ti', 2163: 'ti-ER', 1139: 'ti-ET', 49: 'ts', 1073: 'ts-ZA', 31: 'tr', 1055: 'tr-TR', 66: 'tk', 1090: 'tk-TM', 2080: 'ur-IN', 34: 'uk', 1058: 'uk-UA', 46: 'dsb or hsb', 1070: 'hsb-DE', 32: 'ur', 1056: 'ur-PK', 128: 'ug', 1152: 'ug-CN', 30787: 'uz-Cyrl', 2115: 'uz-Cyrl-UZ', 67: 'uz', 31811: 'uz-Latn', 1091: 'uz-Latn-UZ', 2051: 'ca-ES-valencia', 42: 'vi', 1066: 'vi-VN', 82: 'cy', 1106: 'cy-GB', 136: 'wo', 1160: 'wo-SN', 120: 'ii', 1144: 'ii-CN', 106: 'yo', 1130: 'yo-NG', 52: 'xh', 1076: 'xh-ZA', 53: 'zu', 1077: 'zu-ZA' };
var currentUserLanguage = SP.PageContextInfo.get_currentLanguage();
$.each(language, function (lcid, value) { if (lcid == currentUserLanguage) { var switchLanguage = value; $("html").attr('id', 'pageHTML'); document.getElementById("pageHTML").setAttribute('lang', switchLanguage) } }); }