Multilingual website suggestions

Question

I want to create a multilingual website using wordpress. The site will completely change its direction when it is switched to the second language i.e. Aabic and will reverted back to its original language i.e. English. Suggest the good way to do this. I have the following ideas:

1. Use google translator (there are limitations).
2. Create another totally separate website in arabic using http://ar.wordpress.org/ and redirect the original site to this one when user changes the language.
3. use "Multilingual Press"
4. I have heard that this can be achieved by doing some changes in wp-config.php file as well.

Please let me know the better way of doing this Thanks

Answer 1

Will try to relate to this as a question, talking about the merits and such of the solutions.

1. Quite limited, normally it would not change direction, however - you might add some javascript that will dynamically add the dir="rtl" tags when appropriate
2. You can do that, very high maintenance but might work best, depending on the content of your site
3. There are many plugins, not only the one you mentioned (hint, hint) all with their pros and cons, normally this will be the best option.
4. You can change the locale and have the appropriate .po/.mo files, you may even do so upon request (you have a filter for the locale) but why would you do that when so many plugins do it for you?

I hope this helps.