How to Add Custom Language Switcher Using WPML Plugin of WordPress

I have just modified the custom language switcher for one of my websites that uses multi language feature by using WPML plugin and Atahualpa theme. I saw the related code to implement it via this following article: Custom Language Switcher. Unfortunately, since WPML has upgraded its version for several times, the “languages_list_footer()” function in that article should be changed in order to compatible with the last version of WPML, including the “lang_native_hidden” and “lang_translated_hidden” parameter that will be used in the “icl_disp_language” function. So here is the modification code that I have created in order to display it in the footer of my theme.

1. Put this following code to your functions.php file of your current theme:

   // In order to display language selector of WPML plugin in footer of theme
   function languages_list_footer(){
       $languages = icl_get_languages('skip_missing=0&orderby=code');
       if($l['icl_lso_native_lang']){
           $lang_native_hidden = false;
       }else{
           $lang_native_hidden = true;
       }
       if($l['icl_lso_display_lang']){
           $lang_translated_hidden = false;
       }else{
           $lang_translated_hidden = true;
       }    
       if(!empty($languages)){
           echo '<div id="footer_language_list">';
           foreach($languages as $l){
               if($l['country_flag_url']){
                   echo ' <a href="'.$l['url'].'">';
                   echo '<img src="'.$l['country_flag_url'].'" height="12" alt="'.$l['language_code'].'" width="18" /> ';
                   if(!$l['active']) echo '</a> ';
               }
               echo ' <a href="'.$l['url'].'">';
               echo icl_disp_language($l['native_name'], $l['translated_name'],$lang_native_hidden);
               if(!$l['active']) echo '</a> ';
           }
           echo '</div>';
       }
   }

2. Open your header.php file of your current theme, and find this code:

   <?php } ?>
   <?php include (TEMPLATEPATH . '/functions/bfa_meta_tags.php'); ?>

   before the first line of that code, please insert this following code:

   <link rel="stylesheet" href="<?php echo WP_PLUGIN_URL; ?>/sitepress-multilingual-cms/res/css/language-selector.css" type="text/css" media="all" />

   this is important, in order to include the .css file belongs to WPML plugin.

3. The next step, you have to call that function in your sidebar or any bar of your current theme. For example, I use Atahualpa theme, then I put this code calling in the “footer.php” file:

   <?php languages_list_footer(); ?>

   after this following line:

   <?php wp_footer(); ?>

4. If you want to see the output or demo of this modification, you may visit this following site: Wilayah Indonesia, then please scroll your mouse to the bottom of the page (footer), you will see there are two languages, English and Indonesia.
5. Another similar modification with that above, I also have created the custom language switcher in the sidebar of my theme. I put this following code in “footer.php” of my current theme:

   <?php do_action("icl_language_selector"); ?> // call the language selector

   after this following code:

   <!-- Right Sidebar -->
   <td id="right">

In order to display the output of the language switcher properly using the original css of WPML, then we have to put that css calling above. And don’t forget to always include the .css file that belongs to WPML plugin inside your header.php file in order to display the language selector properly.