Schemes multilingual site

1) Clone.
The base site in Russian cloned X times. Each version has its base, and may even have its own, different from the original structure.
This approach is good when the amount of data is significantly different in different languages. T. e. versions will be asynchronous. And if there is a need to place any information anywhere, it will have to enter the X times in X admin panel.

2) Different patterns.
In every language speaks your template (and / or language file ). A base, but the data entered into it, are entered in the fields of X for X language.
The main problem with this approach - fixing the number of languages. T. e. as originally laid them, so they will always. The second problem - the need to do is transfer all the information you entered, that there were no gaps in other languages.

3) The amount of floating.
The information is entered on one line for each language - m. e. a base, but each information is tied to their language.
This is an interim scheme that allows you to create sites on the X asynchronous languages ​​and has no restrictions on the count of languages. The problem here is to manage. In one interface, the data are mixed will be in all languages ​​, and identify where what infa, can only linguist. Gemorrno, but flexible. The scheme is good for cases where the client does not know how many languages ​​will be and how will the information on each of them.
Even this scheme is more difficult in terms of implementation - a ready-made solutions had no. We'll have to build upon it by a specific task. For example, making the site for the dental clinic, we had to implement a directory of specialists in the second embodiment, and information on the third, because the experts, they are in both English and German will be of the same, but the information we have for each language was differently.

I hope this information will help you avoid unnecessary difficulties in the implementation of multilingual projects. Incidentally, the largest in this area, we had a project in 4 languages ​​for option 2 for the real estate agency.