Basic 158+ Language Customizations

In Zen Cart 1.5.8, the language file system was reworked because of changes in PHP8. (You can read more about the new Array based language files if you want background information on this change.)

If your pre-158 cart has a large number of language file overrides, it may be easier for you to just start fresh with the 1.5.8 language files and apply a minimal set of customizations. Use the following tables as a guide.

Note: You will still want your define page customizations from includes/languages/english/html_includes/YOURTEMPLATE, which you can use as-is.

Admin Side

Files in admin/includes/languages

Files in admin/includes/languages/english

Storefront side

Files in includes/languages/english/YOURTEMPLATE

Modifications in an Override File

If you want to add some custom definitions, say to lang.english.php, there are a couple of workable options. These are additions you would make to the bottom of the file before the return statement.

• You can add them one at a time to the $define array:

  $define['MY_NEW_ENTRY'] = 'My entry value'; 

• Or, you can append them to the original array directly:

  $define += [
     'MY_NEW_ENTRY' => 'My entry value', 
  ]; 

• Or, you can add them to a new array, and append that array to the original one.

  $new_defines = [
     'MY_NEW_ENTRY' => 'My entry value', 
     'MY_NEW_ENTRY_2' => 'My entry value 2', 
  ]; 
  $define += $new_defines; 

If you need to reference entries in the original list, just remember that they are not yet defined values as in prior releases; you have to reference them as array entries.

$define['FEATURED'] = '<li><a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_FEATURED_PRODUCTS) . '">' .  $define['TABLE_HEADING_FEATURED_PRODUCTS'] .  '</a></li>';

Notice that the anchor text is $define['TABLE_HEADING_FEATURED_PRODUCTS'] rather than TABLE_HEADING_FEATURED_PRODUCTS.

You can read more about array based language files in Language Files - Developer Information on Array based Language files.

Language File Help:

• Creating a Language Pack for Zen Cart 1.5.8 and above
• Language Files - New vs Legacy in 1.5.8
• Language Files - Developer information on Array based Language files
• Language Files - User information on Array based Language files
• Release Specific Upgrade Considerations
• Upgrading plugins to work with 1.5.8/PHP 8.0+
• Basic 158+ Language Customizations
• Updated Language Packs for 1.5.8+
• Missing Language Constants