Django templates: Best practice for translating text block with HTML in it

Question

In Django templates, how would I translate a block that contains HTML? For example:

{% trans "Please" %}     <a href="{% url login %}?next={{ currentUrlPath }}">         {% trans "log in" %}     </a> {% trans "in order to use MyApplicationName." %} 

Splitting up translated strings allows me to change the HTML in the template at any time, but I guess it would make more sense to put it into a single translation string, like so:

{% url login as loginUrl %} {% blocktrans %}     Please     <a href="{{ loginUrl }}?next={{ currentUrlPath }}">         log in     </a>     in order to use MyApplicationName. {% endblocktrans %} 

But then the HTML markup is in the translation string, i.e. if I wanted to change the HTML (e.g. CSS class for the anchor), I'd have to retranslate the string for each language.

Are there any better alternatives?

Answer 1

From the docs:

It's not possible to mix a template variable inside a string within {% trans %}. If your translations require strings with variables (placeholders), use {% blocktrans %} instead.

Then under blocktrans:

To translate a template expression -- say, accessing object attributes or using template filters -- you need to bind the expression to a local variable for use within the translation block. Examples:

{% blocktrans with article.price as amount %} That will cost $ {{ amount }}. {% endblocktrans %}  {% blocktrans with value|filter as myvar %} This will have {{ myvar }} inside. {% endblocktrans %} 

This way your translated strings have the placeholders. In your case:

{% blocktrans with login_object.anchor as anchor %}     Please {{ anchor|safe }}log in</a> in order to use MyApplicationName. {% endblocktrans %} 

You will need to generate the text that goes in anchor in your view function. This keeps it out of your translated string.