[OSM-dev] Wiki Language Bar Template - Feedback Required

[Maarten Deen]

Jochen Topf wrote:
> On Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 01:59:52AM +0000, Grant Slater wrote:
>> Currently there is a trial language bar template on 
>> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenLayers
>> 
>> The template auto-magically works out existing translations of the page 
>> and also lists the missing translations. The idea is to hide the 
>> 'Missing Translation' entries behind a little show/hide button (default 
>> hidden) in the top right of bar, controlled by onload javascript [1] and 
>> css [2]
>> 
>> BUT! I would like to gauge what people think of the language bar 
>> template and the js + css  before pushing it out more widely. Ideally it 
>> would replace the existing plethora of page specific language bars on 
>> the wiki.
>> 
>> Only the 'Missing Translations' section requires the JS+CSS hacks. 
>> Personally I don't like the 'Missing Translations' section but am 
>> interested to hear from others.
> 
> 1. Capitalization of language codes. In the "Other languages bar" its
>    all caps, in the "Missing languages" its first letter upper case,
>    second letter lower case.
> 
> 2. "Missing languages" doesn't know about the special case of the
>    English language which doesn't have en: in front.

Furthermore: it only works when all other pages are made having the same 
pagename as the English page. This is currently not the case for many pages, the 
Main Page being the first one you encounter. Granted: to fix this you will 
"only" need a move of those pages, but from one point of view, it is all very 
Anglocentric the way it is now ;)

And I really don't like the look of it. If the language bar is going to be left 
on top of a page, it should be as non-intrusive as can be. This bar is twice the 
size of a bar that has all translated and non-translated pages next to eachother.

I totally agree with Jochen here:
> 3. How about using just one box "Other languages" and a button that
>    toggles all vs. only existing pages. But not in a different box, but
>    in the same box.

And this too:

> 4. How about putting the language links in the box on the left side like
>    on Wikipedia? Would keep the "meta" links more out of the way.

That also de-clutters every page that has a language box on top, i.e. pages with 
both the language links and the Template:MainMenu (like Beginners'_Guide)

Maarten