'Feature' Request: Complete Language files

[Regenerate]

Hi all,

I bought INDEXU when it was still version 3.2 and it had taken a very long time to translate everything (to Dutch). Now today, upgrading to 5.0.1 I encounter the same massive work on the translation...

Since 5.0 there is an English language file (/lang), but it only contains 85 language strings.... there are still 80 template files you have to check and translate! And then I'm only talking about the website itself, the Control Panel (frontend) translation is an extra 58 files, he Administrator (backend) translation is 102 files, the Blocks translation is 10 files, the RSS translation is 7 files, and the email translation is another 28 files. And then I'm still not mentioning all the images that contain English language. This seems very unnecessary and very user-unfriendly to me...

All text should be in a language file (could be more than 1, but I think you agree that something > 275 is idiotic). I'm in the translation 'business' (see DutchJoomla) and I know translation takes time, but spreading it over >275 HTML files (not even specific language files) makes it unnecessary difficult and time-consuming.
Besides: texts and email messages have nothing to do with the template (design) of the website, so why are those in the template/ folder...? I don't think that anyone who wants to change the design also wants to change all texts and email messages...

I'm quite happy with the working and all the functions of INDEXU, but in this way upgrading takes me a couple of days while it should be possible to do so in minutes (which will be possible when all texts are in a language file).

(The template conversion needed from 3.2 -> 5.0 also takes more time than a few minutes, but I understand this was because of a structural change in the code, that happens and is different than needing to to so for every upgrade (in case of the languages).)

I think that I (and the many others who use Indexu in a non-english language) would be VERY happy if the above is implemented into the system...

Thanks in advance!

[snoezel]

I think that I (and the many others who use Indexu in a non-english language) would be VERY happy if the above is implemented into the system...

Thanks in advance![/QUOTE]

I couldnt agree more with you, I just right now stopped upgrading to 5.0.1 because of that, all files have to be re-translated to danish again, and it is only 30 days since I bougt 5.0.0 :-( :-( :-(

Snoezel

[dody]

I think you're correct and i agree with you. But by populating all words in a single language file (english.php or dutch.php), will make templating much more complicated.

Imagine in the front page (index.php), it has words: login, new listing, top rated, hot listing, add a listing, update a listing and much more.
In template, you must not use direct word login, but you must use variable like <%$lang['login']%> which for most users they will look very complicated and become afraid to make a mistake.

That is why my reason why if you want to change the language, you have to do both changing the template and language file.

[snoezel]

I took the long road, and updated to 5.0.1 anyway - I only uploaded the template files that actually had a change, that was only like 10 files as said in the readme file. Didnt upload the lang file, just used my old one from 5.0

Everything seems to be working, update took 1 hour, so that was nice.

But I still missing the language file for all

[Regenerate]

I think you're correct and i agree with you. But by populating all words in a single language file (english.php or dutch.php), will make templating much more complicated.

Imagine in the front page (index.php), it has words: login, new listing, top rated, hot listing, add a listing, update a listing and much more.
In template, you must not use direct word login, but you must use variable like <%$lang['login']%> which for most users they will look very complicated and become afraid to make a mistake.

Not completely true. This might be true for the current working for INDEXU, but there is no need for any language string to be in the template index.php.

You might want to take a look at the working of theJoomla! CMS template system. They d&#237;d manage to completely seperate language from template so this is VERY much possible, also for INDEXU...

And looking at the poll and the above posters, I'm not the only one .

[Frank71]

Hello,

sorry, one point is missing:
NO, no work on language files, because I don't need one !
All my pages are completly individual and I replace all languages variables out of it

Regards
Frank

[Regenerate]

Hello,

sorry, one point is missing:
NO, no work on language files, because I don't need one !
All my pages are completly individual and I replace all languages variables out of it

Regards
Frank

That's ok when you are running an English link directory, but we don't all do that...

[Frank71]

??

Hey, I'm runing german and spanish sites and I can say that you can forget the language option, because you have to customize allways some texts also in php nad because of coders doesn't think in your languages they will never get a solution which you can translate completly.
So because there is no "global" solution and no way for visitors to change live REALLY ALL texts (be aware of links, categories and category titles) in my eys every minute work in these features is wasted time.

Sorry, but only complete beginners use it, because they use also template as they come.
If you start changing the templates it is much easier writing your tecxts directly in the templates instead of switching to language files and php (!) files all the times.

Regards
Frank

[santocki]

??
If you start changing the templates it is much easier writing your tecxts directly in the templates instead of switching to language files and php (!) files all the times.

By my experience I also agree with you. It would be very complicated for Dody to take care of the language issue in all the codes because as I know he is the only developer for Indexu. Did you know that it takes a lot more of time to write codes to format the pages + language options than the core programming codes?

Even if the language feature is provided, we still have to modify the templates to suit our web page design all the time when new templates comes out in every version, so you have to change the texts in English or other languages anyway.

I would rather let Dody be free do the core development, which we CAN'T do, and let us do the time comsuming part that we CAN do.

[hdraye]

I think this is an important thread, As a lot of English users are okay with the templates (design and size wise) we non english users are strugling as if you forget one template, that would make things not look right.

Also (for even English users) with the more uses of the script as a directory, article library, file library and all the stuff smart people come up with all the time, changes to some of the words are needed,

And I guess that alot of users will take a long time to upgrade as they have to do the new templates all over again, and in my opinion thats why the script is not popular in the non english website.

I myself used to used in-link for a long time, now they came up with a new version where language is in one file, but encoded in a strange way, and to translate it I have to do it online one word at a time, I hated it and moved to indexu, loved it, and in less than a week upgraded to unlimited domains license.

regards

Hani

[dody]

Before we go any further, I'd like to hear your opinion how is the language impletemented. Currently we have /lang/english.php which contain:

  $lang['top']                         = 'Top';
  $lang['keyword_at_least_3_char']     = 'Please enter the keyword at least 3 characters.';
  $lang['no_link_found']               = 'Nothing found for keyword "<b><%$keyword%></b>"';

These sentences are messages which're separated from template file according the real condition occur.

While in template file, the language is hard coded into html code, for example in browse.html

    <div align="right">
    <a href="cp/subscribe.php?cat=<%$cat%>">Subscribe to this category</a>
    </div>

Currently, in our opinion it will make easier to translate them right there directly rather than if we populate them into single language file which may become like this:

    <div align="right">
    <a href="cp/subscribe.php?cat=<%$cat%>"><%$lang['tpl']['subscribe_to_this_category']%></a>
    </div>