Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 10:20:16 +0900
Subject: Re: Considerations on a Multi-Lingual Site
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From: Michael Glaesemann <grzm@myrealbox.com>
To: pgsql-www@postgresql.org
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In-Reply-To: <20031110230329.25019.qmail@osiris.gamecrashnet.de>
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On Tuesday, November 11, 2003, at 08:03 AM, Andreas Grabm=FCller wrote:
> It's difficult to create elements like lists without knowing HTML.

Couldn't it be done along the lines of building selects? Say you've got=20
an array of list items:

$list_array =3D array ('apples','oranges','grapes');

$list_string =3D  '<ul>';
foreach $list_array as $this_item {
	$list_string .=3D  '<li>'.$this_item.'</li>';
}
$list_string .=3D '</ul>';

This doesn't solve the problem of how you get the list into the=20
database, but that shouldn't be too hard.

>  I think we have two options here: a bbcode parser that allows some=20
> input like the popular bulletin boards do or using a WYSIWYG editor

A bbcode parser would probably be adequate. Wiki markup isn't too hard=20
and parsers are easy to come by.

> If a translator creates a page in its own language, should it be not=20
> available to other languages or appear in that foreign language for=20
> the english people? Should they be able to change the menu (just for=20
> their own language or for all)?

I could see a link with something like "Translate this item" if a=20
translation isn't available in the preferred language of the viewer.=20
That then brings them to the bbcode page (requiring whatever=20
authentication you want, if you want to limit the translations to be=20
done only be authorized translators).

As for what news is displayed, I think it might be a good idea to=20
display all of the items, with as many translated as translations are=20
available. For languages that haven't got a full version of everything=20
translated, you might get some pretty sparse pages, and people wouldn't=20
necessarily know what they're missing.

It might be nice if you could store a language preference order in the=20
cookie. So for example, if I wanted English first, then German, then=20
Japanese, I'd get the translation of the highest preference that was=20
available.

This may have already been hashed out. I haven't looked closely enough=20
at that section of the code yet.

Michael