# Reference translation (stored in yml file) in navigation yml file **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Created:** [November 10, 2021, 7:18am UTC](https://talk.jekyllrb.com/t/reference-translation-stored-in-yml-file-in-navigation-yml-file/6661 "2021-11-10T07:18:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![keunes](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/talk.jekyllrb.com/keunes/32/4923_2.png) [@keunes](https://talk.jekyllrb.com/u/keunes)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 7:18am UTC](https://talk.jekyllrb.com/t/reference-translation-stored-in-yml-file-in-navigation-yml-file/6661/1 "2021-11-10T07:18:28Z")
Hello, In our navigation, we have the following loop: ```auto {% for link in site.data.navbar %}
{{ link.title }}
{% endfor %} ``` The loop refers to the file `_data/[locale]/navbar.yml`, which contains this: ```auto - link: title: About url: /about - link: title: Blog url: /blog ``` Now, there is one `navbar.yml` _per locale_ (per language). But as we already have the page titles translated in a main translation file in `_i18n/[locale].yml`: ```auto ## Page & menu titles titles: blog: "Blog" about: "About" ``` We’re using the [jekyll-multiple-languages-plugin](https://github.com/kurtsson/jekyll-multiple-languages-plugin). Rather including duplicate strings in our translation system (‘About’ from the page title variable, and from the navigation array item), I was thinking: can we not reference the translation string, which is stored in the translation yml file, in `navbar.yml` like this: ```auto - link: title: {% t titles.about } url: /about - link: title: {% t titles.about } url: /blog ``` I tried the above, but when building the site the following error is thrown: `found character that cannot start any token while scanning for the next token at line 2 column 11` Is it correct that this is not possible, or did I just do something wrong in the execution? If what I attempt is not possible, would there be a workaround, so that we don’t need to have one `navbar.yml` per language? Many thanks! ---
**Author:** ![MichaelCurrin](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/talk.jekyllrb.com/michaelcurrin/32/2340_2.png) [@MichaelCurrin](https://talk.jekyllrb.com/u/MichaelCurrin)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 7:57am UTC](https://talk.jekyllrb.com/t/reference-translation-stored-in-yml-file-in-navigation-yml-file/6661/2 "2021-11-11T07:57:50Z")
> [@keunes](#): > > `title: {% t titles.about }` This doesn’t look like valid yaml or liquid. And that is causing a syntax error. What are you trying to do on this line? If your goal is to reduce duplication, then have a base maybe the English and if no override is set for a language then use the base. E.g. English ```auto - title: About url: /about ``` Some other ```auto - url: /about ``` Then in your Liquid ```auto {% assign title = item.title | default: site.data.engish[0].title %} {{ title }} ``` But also I don’t know how to use the plugin You can also try the approach with duplicates on a small scale and see if you error goes away. Then change on item without duplication to get it to work with better approach. That way you start from a working state and make small changes, to help narrow down exactly what does and doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![keunes](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/talk.jekyllrb.com/keunes/32/4923_2.png) [@keunes](https://talk.jekyllrb.com/u/keunes)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://talk.jekyllrb.com/t/reference-translation-stored-in-yml-file-in-navigation-yml-file/6661/3 "2021-11-13T15:01:58Z")
Thanks @MichaelCurrin, you pointed me in the right direction there! Instead of including the printed title in the `_data/[lang]/navbar.yml`, I now have a single `_data/navbar.yml` with not the actual texts, but just keys: ```auto # note: entry must match page title key as used in _i18n/en.yml - entry: about url: /about - entry: blog url: /blog ``` Which I then use in `_includes/nav.html` to create the full string key that the translation plugin can pick up from `_i18n/[locale].yml` (instead of simply printing the ‘title’ for each item, taken from the navbar.yml): ```auto {% for link in site.data.navbar %} {% capture title %}titles.{{ link.entry }}{% endcapture %}
{% t {{ title }} %}
{% endfor %} ``` The translations file `_i18n/[locale].yml` used by the plugin then looks like this (and if the site is generated in another language, it provides the translated version of the string): ```auto titles: about: "About" blog: "Blog" ``` ---
**Author:** ![keunes](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/talk.jekyllrb.com/keunes/32/4923_2.png) [@keunes](https://talk.jekyllrb.com/u/keunes)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2021, 6:49pm UTC](https://talk.jekyllrb.com/t/reference-translation-stored-in-yml-file-in-navigation-yml-file/6661/4 "2021-11-14T18:49:58Z")
@MichaelCurrin The website in question is that of the open-source podcast manager for Android AntennaPod: [www.antennapod.org](http://www.antennapod.org). I’m preparing the site to be better translatable. I’m thinking just now: would you be open to doing a (quick) code review? I’m just building experience with Jekyll as I’m working on the site, so a pair of experienced eyes would be very welcome. Please don’t hesitate to say no, also 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MichaelCurrin](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/talk.jekyllrb.com/michaelcurrin/32/2340_2.png) [@MichaelCurrin](https://talk.jekyllrb.com/u/MichaelCurrin)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://talk.jekyllrb.com/t/reference-translation-stored-in-yml-file-in-navigation-yml-file/6661/5 "2021-11-14T20:52:02Z")
Sure, you can assign me to “@” mention me on a GitHub PR and I can review. Account on GH: ```auto @MichaelCurrin ```