Switching Languages

Switching Languages Using the LanguageButton and LanguageDropdown Components

1. LanguageButton Component

The LanguageButton component is a simple, user-friendly solution for switching languages when a button is clicked. Each button is tied to a specific language via the languageID variable. When the button is clicked, the language is updated in the game.

How to Use the LanguageButton Component

• Step 1: Add the LanguageButton component to a Unity Button in your scene.

• Step 2: In the Inspector, you will see a field to input the languageID. Enter the language code (e.g., "en", "pt-br", "es") for the language that the button should switch to.

• Step 3: Now, when the button is clicked, the LanguageManager will switch the language of the game to the corresponding languageID.

Here’s an example:

[RequireComponent(typeof(Button))]
public class LanguageButton : MonoBehaviour
{
    public string languageID;

    private Button button;

    private void Awake()
    {
        button = GetComponent<Button>();
        button.onClick.AddListener(OnButtonClicked);
    }

    private void OnButtonClicked()
    {
        if (LanguageManager.Instance != null)
        {
            LanguageManager.Instance.SetLanguage(languageID);
        }
        else
        {
            Debug.LogError("LanguageManager instance not found.");
        }
    }
}

Example Scenario

• You could create multiple buttons, one for each language, and assign each a different languageID. Clicking the button will instantly change the game’s language.

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2. LanguageDropdown Component

The LanguageDropdown component allows players to select a language from a dropdown list. It works with both Unity's built-in Dropdown and TextMeshPro TMP_Dropdown. When a language is selected, the LanguageManager updates the game’s language accordingly.

How to Use the LanguageDropdown Component

• Step 1: Add the LanguageDropdown component to a Unity Dropdown or TextMeshPro TMP_Dropdown in your scene.

• Step 2: The component automatically populates the dropdown with the languages available in the LanguageManager.

• Step 3: When the player selects a language from the dropdown, the language is switched in the game.

Here’s an example:

public class LanguageDropdown : MonoBehaviour
{
    private Dropdown dropdown;
    private TMP_Dropdown tmpDropdown;
    private bool isTMPDropdown = false;

    private void Awake()
    {
        dropdown = GetComponent<Dropdown>();
        if (dropdown != null)
        {
            isTMPDropdown = false;
            PopulateDropdown();
            dropdown.onValueChanged.AddListener(OnDropdownValueChanged);
        }
        else
        {
            tmpDropdown = GetComponent<TMP_Dropdown>();
            if (tmpDropdown != null)
            {
                isTMPDropdown = true;
                PopulateDropdown();
                tmpDropdown.onValueChanged.AddListener(OnTMPDropdownValueChanged);
            }
            else
            {
                Debug.LogError("No Dropdown or TMP_Dropdown component found on this GameObject.");
            }
        }
    }

    private void PopulateDropdown()
    {
        if (LanguageManager.Instance != null)
        {
            List<string> options = new List<string>();
            foreach (Language language in LanguageManager.Instance.Languages)
            {
                options.Add(language.LanguageTitle);
            }

            if (isTMPDropdown && tmpDropdown != null)
            {
                tmpDropdown.ClearOptions();
                tmpDropdown.AddOptions(options);

                int currentIndex = LanguageManager.Instance.Languages.FindIndex(lang => lang.LanguageID == LanguageManager.Instance.currentLanguageID);
                if (currentIndex >= 0)
                {
                    tmpDropdown.value = currentIndex;
                }
            }
            else if (dropdown != null)
            {
                dropdown.ClearOptions();
                dropdown.AddOptions(options);

                int currentIndex = LanguageManager.Instance.Languages.FindIndex(lang => lang.LanguageID == LanguageManager.Instance.currentLanguageID);
                if (currentIndex >= 0)
                {
                    dropdown.value = currentIndex;
                }
            }
        }
        else
        {
            Debug.LogError("LanguageManager instance not found.");
        }
    }

    private void OnDropdownValueChanged(int index)
    {
        if (LanguageManager.Instance != null && index >= 0 && index < LanguageManager.Instance.Languages.Count)
        {
            string selectedLanguageID = LanguageManager.Instance.Languages[index].LanguageID;
            LanguageManager.Instance.SetLanguage(selectedLanguageID);
        }
        else
        {
            Debug.LogError("Invalid language index selected.");
        }
    }

    private void OnTMPDropdownValueChanged(int index)
    {
        if (LanguageManager.Instance != null && index >= 0 && index < LanguageManager.Instance.Languages.Count)
        {
            string selectedLanguageID = LanguageManager.Instance.Languages[index].LanguageID;
            LanguageManager.Instance.SetLanguage(selectedLanguageID);
        }
        else
        {
            Debug.LogError("Invalid language index selected.");
        }
    }
}

Example Scenario

• Imagine you have a Settings menu where users can select their preferred language. The LanguageDropdown component would be perfect for this scenario. As soon as the user selects a language from the dropdown, the game will update the language accordingly.

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Key Points

• LanguageButton: Simple buttons that switch the language when clicked. Each button is assigned a language via the languageID field.

• LanguageDropdown: A dropdown menu that allows the player to choose from a list of available languages, automatically populated from the LanguageManager.

Both components rely on the LanguageManager to handle the actual switching of the language and updating of in-game text elements like UI.