Change language labels for basemap styles

Learn how to localize place labels in the basemap.

The basemap styles service provides a number of different styles you can use in Esri Leaflet applications. Each style accepts a language parameter, which allows you to localize place labels. There are currently over 30 different languages available.

In this tutorial, you use Esri Leaflet Vector to create a language selector and switch between different languages.

Prerequisites

Steps

Get the starter app

Select a type of authentication below and follow the steps to create a new application.

Set up authentication

Create developer credentials in your portal for the type of authentication you selected.

Set developer credentials

Use the API key or OAuth developer credentials so your application can access location services.

Create a basemap language function

Create a function that accepts a language code and returns a basemap style formatted with that language.

1. Define a new getLanguage function that accepts a language code and returns a VectorBasemapLayer.

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       function getLanguage(languageCode) {
         return L.esri.Vector.vectorBasemapLayer(basemapStyle,
   
         )
       }
   

2. In the basemap layer properties, set the language option to your languageCode. Set version:2 to access the styles service, and pass your access token.

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       function getLanguage(languageCode) {
         return L.esri.Vector.vectorBasemapLayer(basemapStyle,
   
           {
             language: languageCode,
             version: 2,
             token: accessToken
           }
   
         )
       }
   

Add a language selector

Add a menu that allows users to change the display language of your map.

1. Create a new languages object. For each supported language, call the getLanguage function with its language code.

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       function getLanguage(languageCode) {
         return L.esri.Vector.vectorBasemapLayer(basemapStyle,
   
           {
             language: languageCode,
             version: 2,
             token: accessToken
           }
   
         )
       }
   
       const languages = {
         "Global": getLanguage("global"),
         "Arabic": getLanguage("ar"),
         "Bosnian": getLanguage("bs"),
         "Bulgarian": getLanguage("bg"),
         "Catalan": getLanguage("ca"),
         "Chinese (Simplified)": getLanguage("zh-CN"),
         "Chinese (Hong Kong)": getLanguage("zh-HK"),
         "Chinese (Taiwan)": getLanguage("zh-TW"),
         "Croatian": getLanguage("hr"),
         "Czech": getLanguage("cs"),
         "Danish": getLanguage("da"),
         "Dutch": getLanguage("nl"),
         "Estonian": getLanguage("et"),
         "English": getLanguage("en"),
         "Finnish": getLanguage("fi"),
         "French": getLanguage("fr"),
         "German": getLanguage("de"),
         "Greek": getLanguage("el"),
         "Hebrew": getLanguage("he"),
         "Hungarian": getLanguage("hu"),
         "Indonesian": getLanguage("id"),
         "Italian": getLanguage("it"),
         "Japanese": getLanguage("ja"),
         "Korean": getLanguage("ko"),
         "Latvian": getLanguage("lv"),
         "Lithuanian": getLanguage("lt"),
         "Norwegian": getLanguage("nb"),
         "Polish": getLanguage("pl"),
         "Portuguese (Brazil)": getLanguage("pt-BR"),
         "Portuguese (Portugal)": getLanguage("pt-PT"),
         "Romanian": getLanguage("ro"),
         "Russian": getLanguage("ru"),
         "Serbian": getLanguage("sr"),
         "Slovak": getLanguage("sk"),
         "Slovenian": getLanguage("sl"),
         "Spanish": getLanguage("es"),
         "Swedish": getLanguage("sv"),
         "Thai": getLanguage("th"),
         "Turkish": getLanguage("tr"),
         "Ukrainian": getLanguage("uk").addTo(map),
         "Vietnamese": getLanguage("vi")
       };
   

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2. Create a Leaflet Control and add it to your map. Pass the languages object to display all of the supported languages.

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       const languages = {
         "Global": getLanguage("global"),
         "Arabic": getLanguage("ar"),
         "Bosnian": getLanguage("bs"),
         "Bulgarian": getLanguage("bg"),
         "Catalan": getLanguage("ca"),
         "Chinese (Simplified)": getLanguage("zh-CN"),
         "Chinese (Hong Kong)": getLanguage("zh-HK"),
         "Chinese (Taiwan)": getLanguage("zh-TW"),
         "Croatian": getLanguage("hr"),
         "Czech": getLanguage("cs"),
         "Danish": getLanguage("da"),
         "Dutch": getLanguage("nl"),
         "Estonian": getLanguage("et"),
         "English": getLanguage("en"),
         "Finnish": getLanguage("fi"),
         "French": getLanguage("fr"),
         "German": getLanguage("de"),
         "Greek": getLanguage("el"),
         "Hebrew": getLanguage("he"),
         "Hungarian": getLanguage("hu"),
         "Indonesian": getLanguage("id"),
         "Italian": getLanguage("it"),
         "Japanese": getLanguage("ja"),
         "Korean": getLanguage("ko"),
         "Latvian": getLanguage("lv"),
         "Lithuanian": getLanguage("lt"),
         "Norwegian": getLanguage("nb"),
         "Polish": getLanguage("pl"),
         "Portuguese (Brazil)": getLanguage("pt-BR"),
         "Portuguese (Portugal)": getLanguage("pt-PT"),
         "Romanian": getLanguage("ro"),
         "Russian": getLanguage("ru"),
         "Serbian": getLanguage("sr"),
         "Slovak": getLanguage("sk"),
         "Slovenian": getLanguage("sl"),
         "Spanish": getLanguage("es"),
         "Swedish": getLanguage("sv"),
         "Thai": getLanguage("th"),
         "Turkish": getLanguage("tr"),
         "Ukrainian": getLanguage("uk").addTo(map),
         "Vietnamese": getLanguage("vi")
       };
   
       L.control.layers(languages, null, { collapsed: false }).addTo(map);
   

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Add RTL language support

Esri Leaflet Vector does not automatically display right-to-left languages, such as Arabic and Hebrew, correctly. Use the Mapbox GL RTL Text plugin to configure settings for RTL languages.

1. Call the L.Esri.Vector.setRTLTextPlugin with the URL of the Mapbox GL RTL Text plugin to configure support for RTL languages.

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       L.control.layers(languages, null, { collapsed: false }).addTo(map);
   
       L.esri.Vector.setRTLTextPlugin('https://unpkg.com/@mapbox/mapbox-gl-rtl-text@0.2.3/mapbox-gl-rtl-text.js');
   

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Run the app

Run the app.

You should be able to use the Leaflet control to switch between basemap languages.

What's next?

Learn how to use additional ArcGIS location services in these tutorials: