Title: WPML and  MLA issue
Last modified: August 30, 2016

---

# WPML and MLA issue

 *  Resolved [lenehanj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lenehanj/)
 * (@lenehanj)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wpml-and-mla-issue/)
 * Hi David
 * I am seeing an issue at the moment and I was wondering if you are aware of any
   current support requests surrounding my query.
 * I have latest version of WordPress, the WPML and MLA plugins installed.
 * I am displaying an image in an English post (base language) using the following
   shortcode:
 * [mla_gallery ids=”1463″ columns=”1″ mla_caption=”{+caption+}” link=”file” size
   =”large”]
 * This same shortcode is also in the German version of the post, however the shortcode
   is not rendering an image.
 * When I look at the HTML for the post in Firebug, it seems like the shortcode 
   is ignored completely.
 * This used to work ok for me and the WordPress debug is showing up no errors.
 * Would you have ideas how to troubleshoot this further?
 * John
 * [https://wordpress.org/plugins/media-library-assistant/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/media-library-assistant/)

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

 *  Thread Starter [lenehanj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lenehanj/)
 * (@lenehanj)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wpml-and-mla-issue/#post-6640106)
 * Hi
 * I have made some progress in that now the shortcode is partially working.
 * It now is displays a hyperlink where the image should be and the correct translated
   caption underneath.
 * The hyperlink points to the translated attachment page: ‘[http://www.eupati.eu/?attachment_id=2272&#8217](http://www.eupati.eu/?attachment_id=2272&#8217);.
   The shortcode should be rendering the image.
 * J
 *  Plugin Author [David Lingren](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dglingren/)
 * (@dglingren)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wpml-and-mla-issue/#post-6640119)
 * Thanks for your question and for posting the source text of your `[mla_gallery]`
   shortcode.
 * You wrote “**_I have made some progress_**” – what changes did you make?
 * I tested your original shortcode on my system and confirmed my suspicion that
   WPML is adding a language filter to the SQL query generated for the shortcode.
   As you know, each Media Library item is language-specific, with separate translations
   of the item for each active language. Since `ids="1463"` refers to an English
   translation it will be filtered out of a German post and the gallery will be 
   empty.
 * The easy way to fix the problem is to add the ID values for all translations 
   to the shortcode, e.g., `ids="1463,2272"`. WPML will select the appropriate image
   for each post language and ignore the other image translations.
 * I am marking this topic resolved, since WPML and MLA are working as designed 
   and the suggested workaround should give you the results you need. Please continue
   to update the topic if you have any problems or further questions regarding the`
   ids` behavior in `[mla_gallery]` when WPML is active. Thanks for your interest
   in the plugin.
 *  Thread Starter [lenehanj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lenehanj/)
 * (@lenehanj)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wpml-and-mla-issue/#post-6640186)
 * Hi David
 * Thank you for your reply.
 * When I wrote that I had made some progress, unfortunately I could not identify
   what change that I made during my testing to relay back to you.
 * I tried what you suggested by adding multiple ‘id’s to the shortcode but it made
   no difference in this case. Your solution is adequate but the issue is caused
   by WPML.
 * When a media item is uploaded directly to the media library, whether or not the
   media item attachment is duplicated into the website languages is determined 
   by a WPML Media plugin setting in the WPML Media plugin admin interface.
 * ON: When uploading media to the Media library, make it available in all languages
   
   OFF: When uploading media to the Media library, do not make it available in all
   languages
 * Because I have two distinct types of media files to upload (i.e. I have images
   that I want made available in all languages and images that I require to be different
   for each language) I will have to remember to turn this setting ON when I want
   to upload an image and have it copied across all translations and turn it OFF
   when I upload an image that I do not want it copied and just want a different
   image per translation.
 * When I do this the following shortcodes work perfectly:
 * Same image across all languages:
    [mla_gallery ids=”1578″ columns=”1″ mla_caption
   =”{+caption+}” link=”file” size=”large”]
 * Different image for each language:
    [mla_gallery meta_key=”eupasset_name” meta_value
   =”bioavailability” columns=”1″ mla_caption=”{+caption+}” link=”file” size=”full”]
 * Two things that would be really helpful would be:
    1. The ability to know whether
   a media item currently in the library has been copied to all languages or not.
   Ideally this would be useful in a column. (Any media items that have had been
   made available in all languages have the following custom field attached to their
   translated versions: wpml_media_processed = 1)
 * 2. The ability at the time of upload to select whether a media item should be
   made available to all translations or not in the upload dialogue window.
 * (This could be an interface add on that could be turned on and off in the MLA
   Admin>Languages tab.
 * The form code (taken from the WPML Media plugin admin interface using firebug)
 * <form id=”wpml_media_options_form”>
    <input type=”hidden” name=”no_lang_attachments”
   value=”0″> <input type=”hidden” id=”wpml_media_options_action”> <label><input
   type=”checkbox” name=”content_default_always_translate_media” value=”1″ checked
   =”checked”> When uploading media to the Media library, make it available in all
   languages</label> </form>)
 * Are these a settings you would consider adding to the MLA uploader in enhance
   integration with WPML?
 * John
 *  Plugin Author [David Lingren](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dglingren/)
 * (@dglingren)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wpml-and-mla-issue/#post-6640214)
 * Thanks for your update with the detailed explanation of your application and 
   the distinction between all-languages and single-language items. Thanks as well
   for describing the “**_Two things that would be really helpful_**“.
 * I believe your first suggestion is already implemented. The Media/Assistant screen
   displays the “flags” column(s) showing the translation status of each item. When
   WPML is in “All languages” mode the flags columns contain a check mark icon in
   the column that matches the language of the item, a pencil icon for translations
   already present and a plus sign icon for translations that do not exist. Clicking
   on the pencil or plus sign will take you to the Media/Edit Media screen for the
   item translation. Does this give you the information you need?
 * Your second suggestion would make a good MLA/WPML enhancement. MLA adds a “Bulk
   Edit on Upload” area to the WordPress Media/Add New (Upload New Media) screen,
   and the checkbox could be added there. Would that work for your application? 
   MLA does not provide a similar feature to the Media Manager Modal (popup) Window“
   Upload Files” tab, and I have no plans to add anything there. Is that a problem
   for your application?
 * I will investigate the work required to add a WPML “duplicate media” checkbox
   to the Media/Add New (Upload New Media) screen and post an update here with my
   findings. Thanks for the idea and for your interest in the plugin.
 *  Thread Starter [lenehanj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lenehanj/)
 * (@lenehanj)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wpml-and-mla-issue/#post-6640228)
 * Thanks so much for your reply.
 * “MLA adds a “Bulk Edit on Upload” area to the WordPress Media/Add New (Upload
   New Media) screen, and the checkbox could be added there. Would that work for
   your application?”
 * Yes that would be great
 * “MLA does not provide a similar feature to the Media Manager Modal (popup) Window“
   Upload Files” tab, and I have no plans to add anything there. Is that a problem
   for your application?”
 * No, I don’t think so.
 * “The Media/Assistant screen displays the “flags” column(s) showing the translation
   status of each item. When WPML is in “All languages” mode the flags columns contain
   a check mark icon in the column that matches the language of the item, a pencil
   icon for translations already present and a plus sign icon for translations that
   do not exist. Clicking on the pencil or plus sign will take you to the Media/
   Edit Media screen for the item translation. Does this give you the information
   you need?”
 * No, this is not the information I require.
 * When I look at the All Languages screen, I can see a plus sign for a translation
   that does not exist and a pencil sign for a translations that does exist, this
   is all fine.
 * It would be great to know which of the media in the library has the same media
   file shared between all languages, i.e this would have been done by the WPML 
   Media plugin if the setting ‘When uploading media to the Media library, make 
   it available in all languages’ was checked during the upload of the media item.
   
   I think you deermine this by the WPML custom field: “wpml_media_processed = 1”
 * In a library with many files it would be useful to know which media files are
   shared between all languages.
    For example, one file and 7 attachements (7 languages)
 * If a person know this inforamtion that can distinguish which images (or any media
   file) are same for all languages and with images are different for every language.
 * It is not possible to get this information at the moment with out going into 
   the media item.
 * (If an attachment translation of a media file does not have “wpml_media_processed
   = 1” assiociated with it, then I would determine that the media is only specific
   to one language.)
 *  Plugin Author [David Lingren](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dglingren/)
 * (@dglingren)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wpml-and-mla-issue/#post-6640229)
 * Thanks for your through responses to my suggestions and questions.
 * I will see what I can do for the “shared file” items in WPML. In the interim 
   you can get some of the information you seek by adding the “Base File” column
   to your Media/Assistant submenu table. Items that share the same file will have
   a common value in that column. You can click on the file name in the column to
   filter the display and show all the items sharing the file. Of course, this works
   best in the “All languages” mode.
 *  Plugin Author [David Lingren](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dglingren/)
 * (@dglingren)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wpml-and-mla-issue/#post-6640242)
 * I have done more investigation into the `wpml_media_processed` custom field and
   how WPML handles items that share a file.
 * The `wpml_media_processed` field is created and set to ‘1’ whenever a second (
   or subsequent) Media Library item is created as a translation of an original 
   item, and thus shares a common file. There are two ways this can happen:
    1. You check the “When uploading media to the Media library, make it available 
       in all languages” box to automatically duplicate items as they are uploaded.
    2. You manually create a translation by clicking the plus sign icon in the Media/
       Assistant “flags” column.
 * Note that the second method will set the `wpml_media_processed` field even if
   the “make it available in all languages” checkbox is not checked.
 * Also, the `wpml_media_processed` field is **never** set for the original item,
   only for the translations. If you share one file among three translations, two
   of them will have the field set and the original one will not. You wrote:
 * >  (If an attachment translation of a media file does not have “wpml_media_processed
   > = 1” associated with it, then I would determine that the media is only specific
   > to one language.)
 * That is **not** true; the original item (first language created) will **not**
   have this field set.
 * If you have the “make it available in all languages” option checked, items will
   have a translation for all languages. If that option is **not** checked, you 
   can still make an item available in one, several or all languages by manually
   creating translations with the plus sign icon.
 * The check, pencil and plus sign icons in the “flags” column give you all the 
   shared/not shared information there is; the only additional information provided
   by the `wpml_media_processed` field is the difference between the original item
   and the additional translations. Is that significant? If it is I can easily add
   that information to the “flags” column.
 *  Thread Starter [lenehanj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lenehanj/)
 * (@lenehanj)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wpml-and-mla-issue/#post-6640251)
 * Hi David
 * I have tested what you have suggested and the green tick will indeed tell me 
   everything I need to know about the translation status of an image and whether
   it has been shared between languages or if it is standalone.
 * I’m not sure what the WP community would do without your plugin and patient help.
 * Maybe Automatic will incorporate your great work into their core and bring the
   media library up to speed.
    (And compensate you in the process of course.)
 * Thanks so much for you help. If only all support forums could offer this level
   of detail and help.
 * Regards
 * John
 *  Plugin Author [David Lingren](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dglingren/)
 * (@dglingren)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wpml-and-mla-issue/#post-6640252)
 * Thank you for thinking through my comments and for testing and confirming that
   you have the information you need. I always learn something from these topics
   and I appreciate the opportunity.
 * Thanks as well for your kind words about the plugin and its support; they are
   a great motivation to keep working on it and supporting users like you.
 * I agree that many MLA features would be suitable for WordPress core; I started
   working on MLA with just that perspective in mind. With recent releases and features
   like the “Media Grid” Automattic is headed in a somewhat different direction.
   I’ve also found quite a lot of PHP code in core that treats “attachments” as 
   a special case; it would be a challenge to find and modify all that code to make
   attachments more like posts, pages and custom post types. Still, it’s an interesting
   project for some future date. Thanks for your vote of confidence.
 *  Plugin Author [David Lingren](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dglingren/)
 * (@dglingren)
 * [10 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wpml-and-mla-issue/#post-6640304)
 * I have uploaded a new Development Version dated 20151108 that contains the WPML“
   duplicate new media on upload” control you suggested. It also contains some fixes
   for upload problems I found while testing the new feature.
 * In the bottom-right part of the form you will see a new Yes/No dropdown control,
   initialized to the WPML default value for “When adding new media, make it available
   in all languages”. You can change the value for the duration of the upload process
   without disturbing the WPML default. I had to use a dropdown control because 
   a checkbox does not get passed back to the server accurately.
 * You can find step-by-step instructions for using the Development Version in this
   earlier topic:
 * [MLA errors when using plugin](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/mla-errors-when-using-plugin)
 * If you get a chance to try the Development Version please let me know how it 
   works for you. Thanks for suggesting a useful enhancement to the WPML support.

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

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