Build a two-language SmartBot menu

Build a working English and Spanish SmartBot menu with reusable titles, types, references, and a per-user language switch.

This example keeps menu structure in one place and supplies English and Spanish text separately. Each user can choose a language. SmartBot is built into the BJS runtime; no Store library is needed.

Use a fresh test bot. Create /setup, /smart-menu, /smart-help, /smart-about, /smart-language, and /smart-lang. Keep Answer and Keyboard empty, Wait for answer off, and Auto Retry empty for all six commands. Do not add a global @ or @@ handler for this example.

1

Save both language dictionaries

Follow trusted administrator setup. In /setup, replace YOUR_TELEGRAM_USER_ID with your own Telegram user ID, keeping the quotes:

/setup

// Command: /setup
const ADMIN_TELEGRAM_ID = "YOUR_TELEGRAM_USER_ID";
if (!user || String(user.telegramid) !== ADMIN_TELEGRAM_ID) { return; }

// The structure and command names stay the same in every language.
const commands = {
  "/smart-menu": {
    text: "#/texts/menu", inline_buttons: "#/keyboards/main", parse_mode: "HTML"
  },
  "/smart-help": {
    text: "#/texts/help", inline_buttons: "#/keyboards/back", parse_mode: "HTML"
  },
  "/smart-about": {
    text: "#/texts/about", inline_buttons: "#/keyboards/back", parse_mode: "HTML"
  },
  "/smart-language": {
    text: "#/texts/language", inline_buttons: "#/keyboards/languages", parse_mode: "HTML"
  }
};
const keyboards = {
  main: [
    [{ text: "{helpButton}", command: "/smart-help" },
     { text: "{aboutButton}", command: "/smart-about" }],
    [{ text: "{languageButton}", command: "/smart-language" }]
  ],
  back: [[{ text: "{menuButton}", command: "/smart-menu" }]],
  languages: [
    [{ text: "English", command: "/smart-lang en" },
     { text: "Español", command: "/smart-lang es" }],
    [{ text: "{menuButton}", command: "/smart-menu" }]
  ]
};
const smart = new SmartBot();
saveLanguage("en", {
  appTitle: "Tea shop", helpButton: "Help", aboutButton: "About",
  languageButton: "Language", menuButton: "Menu"
}, {
  menu: "{appTitle}\nChoose an option.",
  help: "Choose a button below to return to {appTitle}.",
  about: "{appTitle} is a demonstration menu.",
  language: "Choose a language."
});
saveLanguage("es", {
  appTitle: "Tienda de té", helpButton: "Ayuda", aboutButton: "Acerca de",
  languageButton: "Idioma", menuButton: "Menú"
}, {
  menu: "{appTitle}\nElige una opción.",
  help: "Pulsa el botón para volver a {appTitle}.",
  about: "{appTitle} es un menú de demostración.",
  language: "Elige un idioma."
});
Bot.sendMessage("SmartBot languages saved. Send /smart-menu.");

function saveLanguage(language, titles, texts) {
  smart.setupLng(language, {
    commands: commands,
    titles: titles,
    types: { keyboards: keyboards, texts: texts }
  });
}

Send /setup from your configured Telegram account. The first saved language is the default on this fresh bot, so a user without a language selection starts in English. Re-run /setup after changing the dictionaries; editing the command alone does not update the stored templates.

2

Render the four screens

Paste this same complete BJS into each of /smart-menu, /smart-help, /smart-about, and /smart-language:

Render the four screens · Example 2

// Commands: /smart-menu, /smart-help, /smart-about, /smart-language
if (!user || !chat) { return; }
const smart = new SmartBot();
smart.handle();

Each command selects its matching entry in commands. A title such as {appTitle} comes from the selected language's titles. A whole field such as "#/keyboards/back" resolves a reusable value under types: both Help and About use that same keyboard.

A #/... reference must be the whole field value here. Writing "Current menu: #/texts/menu" does not embed another template inside that sentence. Use {placeholders} for text substitution. Keep command names, dictionary keys, and placeholder names unchanged in translations; translate their text values.

SmartBot inline buttons use nested rows with text and command (or url). The runtime turns command into Telegram callback data. This is different from Bot.sendInlineKeyboard, which uses title for a button label.

3

Change the current user's language

Put this in /smart-lang:

/smart-lang

// Command: /smart-lang
if (!user || !chat) { return; }
const language = (params || "").trim();
if (language !== "en" && language !== "es") {
  Bot.sendMessage("Use /smart-lang en or /smart-lang es.");
  return;
}
const smart = new SmartBot();
smart.setUserLang(language);
Bot.runCommand("/smart-menu");

The allowlist accepts only configured languages. setUserLang saves the current user's choice; the following command creates a new SmartBot instance and loads that language. Calling handle() on the old instance would still use the dictionary it already loaded.

4

Test the whole menu

1. Send /setup, then /smart-menu. Expect Tea shop and Choose an option. with Help, About, and Language buttons.

2. Tap Help, then Menu. Check that the reused back button returns to the menu.

3. Tap Language, then Español. Expect Tienda de té and Elige una opción., with Ayuda, Acerca de, and Idioma.

4. Send /smart-help and /smart-about to check both translated screens and their Menú button.

5. Send /smart-menu in a later message; Spanish should remain selected for this user. Another user should still see English until they choose a language.

6. Use Idioma → English to switch back. /smart-lang fr should display usage instructions and leave the current choice unchanged.

All text in this exercise is controlled by the developer. HTML templates do not escape arbitrary user input: escape it before inserting it, and avoid passing secrets as template parameters. For the rest of the API, see SmartBot, SmartAmountDialog, and SmartTasker.