Change the place label language

Learn how to localize place labels using the basemap styles service v2.

The basemap styles service v2 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

You need an ArcGIS Developer or ArcGIS Online account to access the developer dashboard and create an API key.

Steps

Create a new pen

  1. Go to CodePen to create a new pen for your application.

Set the API key

To access location services, you need an API key or OAuth 2.0 access token. To learn how to create and scope your key, visit the Create an API key tutorial.

  1. Go to your dashboard to get an API key. The API key must be scoped to access the services used in this tutorial.

  2. In CodePen, update apiKey to use your key.

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          const map = L.map("map", {
            minZoom: 2
          })
    
          map.setView([34.02, -118.805], 13);
    
          const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";
    
          const basemapEnum = "arcgis/streets";
    
          L.esri.Vector.vectorBasemapLayer(basemapEnum, {
            apiKey: apiKey
          }).addTo(map);
    

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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          const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";
    
          const basemapStyle = 'arcgis/outdoor';
    
          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 new v2 styles service, and pass your API key.

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          const basemapStyle = 'arcgis/outdoor';
    
          function getLanguage(languageCode) {
            return L.esri.Vector.vectorBasemapLayer(basemapStyle,
    
            {
              language: languageCode,
              version: 2,
              apikey: apiKey
            }
    
            )
          }
    

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,
              apikey: apiKey
            }
    
            )
          }
    
          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")
          };
    
    Expand
  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);
    
    Expand

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');
    
    Expand

Run the app

In CodePen, run your code to display the map.

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:

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