What Is Per-Field Language Control?

Per-Field Language Control means you can:

• Flag individual fields as multilingual
• Automatically create language strings for those fields
• Ensure field values are rendered appropriately in Joomla's frontend/backend based on active language
• Integrate with Joomla's native language system and .ini files

This gives full control over which parts of your component content are static, dynamic, or multilingual.

How It Works in JCB

When editing a field:

• Go to the field's configuration.
• Enable the "Multilingual" or "Language Constant" option (exact label may vary by version).
• JCB will:
  • Generate a language key for the field
  • Place its value in the correct .ini file for each language
  • Use JText::_() in output code to retrieve the localized value
• During compile, all such fields are processed automatically.
• You can also manually override or extend the generated keys using the language string interface or Excel import/export.

Key Benefits

• 🌐 Multilingual Compatibility
  Aligns fully with Joomla’s multilingual system — no hacks or workarounds required.
• 🧾 Field-Specific Customization
  Only the fields you mark for translation are affected, giving you optimal performance and clarity.
• 📂 Language Constants per Field
  Great for UI labels, descriptions, button text, instructional messages, etc.
• 🛠️ Editable via Excel Import/Export
  Manage translations across all languages via spreadsheet.
• 🔒 No Hardcoding
  Avoid static values in templates — use language strings for better portability and flexibility.

Common Use Cases

• Component UI with multilingual buttons and labels
• Dynamic field titles in forms or lists
• SEO-friendly multilingual content (titles, slugs, etc.)
• Admin backends for international teams

Best Practices

• Keep translations updated via JCB’s export/import tools
• Combine with language string auto-indexing for easier tracking
• Only enable for fields that need localization — not every field

Summary

JCB supports fine-grained language management by allowing developers to specify which fields in their components should be translatable. This ensures that fields such as titles, descriptions, labels, or any other dynamic text can adapt to each Joomla-supported language via the native language system.