IPS 4.0 - focus on better localization

[Sonya*]

I wish better localization features for other languages:

- purging unused translation strings

- updating language packs WITHOUT wiping out custom translations, merging new translations into custom (like template system where custom changes overload default)

- better searching for translation strings ACP (e. g. right now it is almost impossible to find short strings like "in", "by" etc. or search within only one application)

- clearly separate languages, as right now if new string is added to another language it is used as default in English (compare _display_title strings added to another language messing English)

- not setting another language as custom translation string for English, so that there is no need for UPDATE core_sys_lang_words SET word_custom = '' WHERE lang_id = 1; after language import.

- making Rebuild XML... for only one application and not for entire system (saves time)

- making ACP fully translatable

- creating multilingual help files, custom profile fields' titles, group names, pre-defined user titles, warning reasons and anything that is tied to one language right now

- transliterate utf-8 URLs into ASCII

- adding localization feature for tagging system to create multilingual tags

- select what languages should be available for what group (language chooser)

- creating template replacements for singular and plural forms when numbers used, like 1 comment or 10 comments.There are languages that do have more than one plural form.

- creating template replacements depending on user's gender when said or commented is used. There are languages that have gender distinctions.

- deleting _RLP_ or _RUS_ from IP.Content and not using such constructions at all as they are impossible to translate into languages that have grammatical cases (actually the majority of languages do have cases)

It would be also perfect if IPS would have someone in the developer team with primary language other than English and ideally running own non-English board, so that needs of non-English communities can be better understood and promoted. This way developers would know what is really critical for other languages and what is "nice-to-have".

[Axel Wers]

Yes, localisation needs much more improvements. This will be more important in future, because english will lost status of global language in favor to chinese, spanish, arabian etc. hahaha

[Adriano Faria]

Most important: translation per application!

Today if I translate an application (via ACP -> export the XML) and install it on Manage Languages, it will translate ALL sets, not just the one you exported.

I mean, if I have English and Brazilian Portuguese and translate Gallery to Brazilian Portuguese, it will override English as well when I upload the XML.

[Axel Wers]

I mean, if I have English and Brazilian Portuguese and translate Gallery to Brazilian Portuguese, it will override English as well when I upload the XML.

Yes, this is one of the biggest failures of IP.Board.

[m3rk0rd]

Sonya* is right on the money. Great summary of necessary improvements.

I'd also like to see the ability to use language strings in places like:

• forum names and descriptions
• custom database names, field names, and descriptions

Or even better, some other built-in method of translating those things like this:

Forum Name (English): ...

Forum Descrition (English): ...

Forum Name (Spanish): ...

Forum Descrition (Spanish): ...

Those fields could be created automatically depending on how many languages you have installed.

[Mark]

Sonya* is right on the money. Great summary of necessary improvements.

I'd also like to see the ability to use language strings in places like:

• forum names and descriptions
• custom database names, field names, and descriptions

Or even better, some other built-in method of translating those things like this:

Forum Name (English): ...

Forum Descrition (English): ...

Forum Name (Spanish): ...

Forum Descrition (Spanish): ...

Those fields could be created automatically depending on how many languages you have installed.

That's how 4.0 will do things like forum names and descriptions.

[EnzoC]

It would be nice to be able to use admin panel and select from the various packages of language, or use a system that does not go to update the English language pack without the recache and the insertion of a query to restore it, as the competition vb for example. With version 4.0, is it possible? IPB developers are also working for this?

[Axel Wers]

creating template replacements for singular and plural forms when numbers used, like 1 comment or 10 comments.There are languages that do have more than one plural form.

(...)

- deleting _RLP_ or _RUS_ from IP.Content and not using such constructions at all as they are impossible to translate into languages that have grammatical cases (actually the majority of languages do have cases)

I know.

English is very simple in this way. Singular "record", plural "records"

In slovak it's worser

singular - 1 record = 1 článok (I can translate "record" in few ways, but I use "článok")

plural - 2 records = 2 články

plural - 3 records = 3 články

plural - 4 records = 4 články

plural - 5 records = 5 článkov

In this case I cannot use _RLP_ in all cases because in front-end I can get 5 články instead of 5 článkov. It looks little retarded.

[Adriano Faria]

That's how 4.0 will do things like forum names and descriptions.

Oh, very nice. Don't forget other common areas for users: board rules, forum rules, help files, etc.

[.Nuno.]

I would suggest a way to reduce the number of words that are translated. We don't have to have 100 times the word "yes", we just need this once all over the suite.

[Maxxius]

I second this:

- deleting _RLP_ or _RUS_ from IP.Content and not using such constructions at all as they are impossible to translate into languages that have grammatical cases (actually the majority of languages do have cases)

For Lithuanian this also does not work well.

[Axel Wers]

I would suggest a way to reduce the number of words that are translated. We don't have to have 100 times the word "yes", we just need this once all over the suite.

Yes.

[Maxxius]

Yes.

I strongly disagree on that one. there are different types of yes-es in various languages. doing so would ruin my language translation.

[m3rk0rd]

I would suggest a way to reduce the number of words that are translated. We don't have to have 100 times the word "yes", we just need this once all over the suite.

I appreciate the sentiment, but I also respectfully disagree. Default IPS installation may choose to use "Yes" in two different places, but I may want to translate it one way in one place and another way in another place, depending on context. Maybe "Yes" isn't the best example, but there are plenty of cases where I want a custom string to replace a default one in a particular case, but not site-wide.

[m3rk0rd]

That's how 4.0 will do things like forum names and descriptions.

My heart skipped a beat when I read this. This is absolutely the best news I have ever gotten from IPS. This will single-handely convert me from a reluctantly satisfied supporter of IPS to a full-fledged evangelist! And it will make it immensely easier to get non-English users to feel comfortable using my site. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

[bfarber]

We've mentioned multiple times that localization will see many improvements with 4.0. We will certainly blog about them once plans are finalized. :)

[Maxxius]

then blog about it! enough teasing! :D

[bfarber]

We blog about stuff once we're done with it. ;)

[Enkidu]

This is what Google webmaster is suggesting for international websites

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2013/05/6-quick-tips-for-international-websites.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FamDG+%28Official+Google+Webmaster+Central+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

hope IPS will take into account :)