Language selection/switching problems (SOLVED)

[srsolutions]

We have got a very weird problem on our (new) website regarding language switching.

Our website has 4 languages (en, fr, de, nl).
It is forced https (with a joomla http to https redirect)

vm (v3.2.2) and joomla (v3.7.4).

All products, categories etc.. are made in 4 languages and 90% ready (some still need pictures and info).

Standard Joomla SEO (No SEF or SEO plugins/components).

Situation:

1. Website offline, when logged on on the frontside everything works as expected.
2. Website online, logged on, everything works as expected.

3. Website online, guest access, Joomla translation switching works, vm language switching doesn't work, products stay in the selected standard Joomla language.

When I change the standard language in the back-end, the front end vm language changes to the selected standard language.

What could this be, all advice would be appreciated.

Steven

EDIT: Things I've already tried/tested

- Uninstall components I think might be the problem (Jsitemap, Security) there aren't any other components except Akeeba (admin and backup).
- disable HTTPS
- change vm's fallback language settings
- change system default language (this indeed changes the language of vm, but only to the one selected in the back-end) (see situation 3 above)
- change htaccess
- tried a default Joomla template, problem persists

Link to website in pm (or can post here if it helps)

[jjk]

Link to website in pm (or can post here if it helps)

You can post it here, but if you do, don't forget to set your website to 'Online'.
Do you have menu links for all your shop categories in all languages and have selected a language in each menu setting?
Also, check your shopper group settings in VirtueMart 'Orders & Shoppers' > 'Shopper Groups'. Default Shopper Group and Guest Shopper Group should be enabled. And normally 'Available for all' should be selected in the 'Product Edit' > 'Product Information' tab.

[srsolutions]

Thank you for your reply jjk.

Website is online and SEF is currently switched on. Default language is English.

https://www.everything4twirling.com/

Also, it seems the website is very slow. Don't know if it is related, might be the lot of products getting loaded on the front page, we are already planning to change this for the front page.

Do you have menu links for all your shop categories in all languages and have selected a language in each menu setting?

I don't think so, we did not create Joomla menu items for every category (there are categories created in 4 languages in vm tho)

Also, check your shopper group settings in VirtueMart 'Orders & Shoppers' > 'Shopper Groups'. Default Shopper Group and Guest Shopper Group should be enabled. And normally 'Available for all' should be selected in the 'Product Edit' > 'Product Information' tab.

Ok, will check this and come back to let you know

[srsolutions]

Followup: Both shopper groups are enabled and standard "available for all" is selected with every product.

We will create Joomla menu items for every categorie today and see it it works.

[Studio 42]

See my module https://shop.st42.fr/en/products/multi-language-for-virtuemart.htm
It not need to add Joomla menu links but translation have to exist in your shop(to get right alias)

[srsolutions]

Problem solved. Massive thanks JJK !!!

I just removed the vm frontpage and created Joomla menu items for categories.

Everything seems to be working ok now!

@Studio 42: We have checked your module and it looks like another solution for the problem. We might need it if we want to use vm on the frontpage.

[jjk]

And don't forget to associate the category menu items to the other languages.

I just removed the vm frontpage and created Joomla menu items for categories.

It is possible to 'simulate' the depricated VM frontpage with category and subcategory settings, if you make one category with a group of subcategories and disable 'show products' in the top category.

[Studio 42]

@Studio 42: We have checked your module and it looks like another solution for the problem. We might need it if we want to use vm on the frontpage.

My module permit to switch in the product too, this is not the case for Joomla core language switcher.