While a single currency symbol can work best for an e-store that needs to target a national/local audience, the one which needs to cater to an international consumer-base has to have different currencies with separate currency symbols. If you are running your web store on Magento and are fed up of the monotonous look of your currency symbols, then you’re definitely in luck because upgrading to the latest Magento release 1.7 will enable you to change the currency symbols for your online store. Today, through this post, I intend to highlight the steps that are associated with adjusting the currency symbols for a Magento powered e-commerce store via some simple-to-follow steps.
What makes e-store owners change the currency symbol for their Magento portals?
Well, there are times when you(an e-store owner) might get bored with the usual visual appearance of your currency symbols. It is here that the need for moderating the currency symbols arises. Additionally, there is yet another scenario where you might need to tweak the symbols for currencies applicable for your e-commerce website. As per this scenario, the symbol for a particular currency might have undergone a change globally and so modifying the same would be the best decision to take.
Now, let me walk you through the technique of changing currency symbols for a Magento powered e-store
In this tutorial, I’ll be looking into changing the currency symbol of Nepalese Rupee from Nrs to Rs. I want you to make a note of the fact that the default currency symbol for Nepalese Rupee is Nrs. Now, simply follow the steps explained below:
Step 1- Edit the lib/Zend/Locale/Data/en.xml file
You need to understand that the xml file which needs to be edited depends upon your locale settings. Since my locale has been set to English(United States), so I’ll be required to change the en.xml file. For this, simply go to your Admin panel-> System-> Configuration-> General-> General-> Locale options-> Locale and here if your locale language is Spanish(Spain), you’ll need to change lib/Zend/Locale/Data/sp.xml. Likewise, if your locale is Hindi(India), then you’ll need to change the lib/Zend/Locale/Data/ne.xml file.
Step 2- Open lib/Zend/Locale/Data/en.xml and find the following:
<currency type=”NPR”>
<displayName>Nepalese Rupee</displayName>
<displayName count=”one”>Nepalese rupee</displayName>
<displayName count=”other”>Nepalese rupees</displayName>
<symbol>Nrs</symbol>
</currency>
In the above code, change <symbol>Nrs</symbol> to <symbol>Rs</symbol>
Once you’re done with making the specified alterations, simply go to System-> Cache Management and refresh your cache.
Getting to know the no-coding method of changing currency symbols for a Magento powered e-store
Ever since the release of Magento 1.7 version, e-store owners/operators have found it really simple to change the currency symbols. Yes, now, the currency symbols for a Magento e-store can be easily adjusted via the back-end with absolutely no coding required for the same. All you need to do is simply follow the below steps:
– Get on with defining the currencies that you would like to use for your Magento e-store. For this, you just need to go to System-> Configuration-> General-> Currency Setup-> Allowed Currencies.
– Next, go to System-> Manage Currency-> Symbols and go ahead with updating the symbols in accordance to your specific preferences.
Here’s a screen-shot depicting the varied currency symbols available for a Magento e-store:
ET Currency Module- Yet another trendy way of tweaking the visual appearance of currency symbols in Magento
In addition to the two methods discussed above, there is yet another proven technique of tweaking the display of symbols displayed for different currencies. With the ET Currency Manager module, you can easily position your currency symbols towards the right, left, center, corner, etc. That means, you can easily gain an extensive control over the display of price along with the currency symbol. Plus, you can also control the count of decimals that need to be displayed along with the price that depicts a particular country’s currency.
A closer look at changing currency position in Magento 1.7
BY default, Magento 1.7 uses the currency format of the Zend framework. Now, in order to change the currency format, all you need to do is simply make some changes to the locale xml file stored in the directory lib/Zend/Locale/Data as shown below:
Here’s the code snippet in the es.xml file:
<currencyFormats>
<currencyFormatLength>
<currencyFormat>
<pattern>¤ #,##0.00</pattern>
</currencyFormat>
</currencyFormatLength>
<unitPattern count=”other”>{0} {1}</unitPattern>
</currencyFormats>
Now, in order to put the currency symbol after the price, just replace the above code with the one mentioned below:
<currencyFormats>
<currencyFormatLength>
<currencyFormat>
<pattern>#,##0.00 ¤</pattern>
</currencyFormat>
</currencyFormatLength>
<unitPattern count=”other”>{0} {1}</unitPattern>
</currencyFormats>
Here, the symbol ¤ represents symbol specified for the chosen currency. Finally, make sure to clear your Magento cache to avoid the occurrence of any bugs while the changes are reflected in the e-store’s front-end.
So, that’s it!
Wrapping Up
I’m sure after going through this post, you’d have got all motivated to change the currency symbols for your Magento e-store. So, unleash a new look for your e-store’s currency symbols and start gathering the audience attention you’ve been waiting for.
Author Bio : Isabella Morris is currently employed with a renowned Magento development company and is also engaged in writing informative articles on best tools and tricks for Magento development. Her write-ups have proved beneficial for a wider group of Magento developers across the globe.