CSV Import Multilanguages

[Salumber]

I have also struggled with that for days now to discover that until unless you go and edit the ps_product and ps_product_lang with phpMyadmin, you can only mass import through csv in one language.

Where I get really surprised is that this problem doesn't seem to be new. There are posts more than 1 year old on that and pertaining to earlier versions. As it's really pointed on many posts I've read on this topic, it's really a shame (to remain polite) that such a basic function is not offered. In other words, if you're not a computer engineer or an adept of DIY, you end up with a shop in one language! Don't call your software Prestashop but LOCALShop then!

Here are two links of posts in your forum:

http://www.prestashop.com/forums/viewthread/13096/discussion_generale/patch_import_csv

http://www.prestashop.com/forums/viewthread/12949/discussion_generale/ce_quil_manque

In the first one, there's a valuable contribution given by Lionel Guichard on some sort of patch for earlier versions.

The second post is also enlightening. I checked in the modules offered and some seem to remedy that multilanguage import issue (i.e. you can import a product in several languages), however, there are NOT FREE! In that light, the comment made by a partner in the second post speaks volumes:

"communauté = gratuit = pas de source de revenu"

i.e. "Community = Free = No Income (for Prestashop (added))"

Being able to develop a shop in multilanguages seems a fundamental to me. This should be offered in the bare package and be absolutely free. Before developping fancy versions, you better fix that kind of issues. That you offer paid modules to customers who want an easy way out or some really complex requirements is fine, but not offering these simple options right at the beginning of a shop, like I'm currently doing, is just suicidal for you! Lionel Guichard sensed it perfectly and if you don't follow his advices, your new leitmotiv will become:

No Community = Niche = Limited or ZERO Income

I quite like your software as it's true that it seems to be light and quite intuitive on the whole. In just days, you can have a shop running. BUT, this lack of crucial options in the bare version seems crazy to me (if there are no hidden motives)! Moreover, you have very little modules that are free and in the long run, I also believe that you'll remain very narrow and limited. So, I have second thoughts on keeping using your software.

There's yet another point on the modules issue. Most paid modules have prices that are sky high! Not to mention that you have to pay, these prices are simply prohibitive for non-western countries. In India, nobody will ever buy a module for 100 or 200 Euros. So do you really want to become LocalSmallShop?

Vous êtes pas sérieux les gars! Ne pas offrir la possibilité de faire une boutique en plusieurs langues dès le départ va très vite limiter vos perspectives de développement. Je ne comprends même pas que vous n'ayez pas remédié à cela depuis tout ce temps. Si vous ne le faites pas, je vais très sérieusement songer à changer de logiciel et ce serait dommage!

[svenne duva]

I am struggling right now with this problem. I am using 1.3.5 and the problem is still there.
Is there any one more than me who still cant import products when you don't have English as default language?
Is there a secret easy workaround?

[svenne duva]

I found a solution that works for me.
I stopped using Microsoft Excel and are using Open Office Calc instead. When saving the files, Open Office can save them in UTF-8 in a correct way and keeping all of your language special letters like åäö and so on. Now everything is working perfect when importing products with multi language.