Re: [Plone-i18n] Multilingual Content in Plone and CMF

[Leonard N. <leo...@re...>]

I took the opportunity to write down some thoughts I've had recently on 
supporting multilingual content in Plone - perhaps some of it is 
interesting or useful enough to find its way into Plone.

This is written from a content provider perspective and is a bit of a 
draft requirements list for maintaining a multilingual site with some or 
all content translated. None of this is about how to actually code the 
implementation.

There are many opportunities for misunderstandings due to use or abuse 
of terminology. In the below draft, "document" is used loosely in its 
everyday meaning.

Contents:

A. General
A.1. Support for multiple languages should be the default
A.2. Full support for RFC2616 content negotiation for languages
A.3. Supportive functionality - Add language support short list
A.4. Workflow for "Document needs updating/reviewing"
B. Translations, translating and maintaining translations
B.1. Source language for translation purposes
B.2. Update translations when source document changes
B.3. Simple translator aids
B.4. Coordinated publishing and withdrawal of original and translations


A. General

A.1. Support for multiple languages should be the default

The functionality of I18NLayer should be transparent to users and 
provided by default (ie. no need to first add the I18NLayer). End-user 
content writers shouldn't be exposed to the inner guts of Plone.

A.2. Full support for RFC2616 content negotiation for languages

Document language must be fully settable, including variants. Note that 
this might include more than two levels. For example "en", "en-GB", 
"sv-FI-Narpes".

http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec3.html#sec3.10
http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec14.html#sec14.4

A.3. Supportive functionality - Add language support short list

Most sites will support only a few languages most of the time. Thus it 
makes sense to put these languages on a configurable short list to be 
used in the user interface to simplify and speed up working with content.

A.4. Workflow for "Document needs updating/reviewing"

Add begin-review and review-by attributes to documents, such that the 
document enters an update/review workflow -- while the current version 
is still being published -- at the begin-review date. The review-by is a 
deadline when the review must be done (no effect on the site if not 
ready on time).

B. Translations, translating and maintaining translations

B.1. Source language for translation purposes

It should be possible to mark one language variant of a document as the 
source for translations to the other languages it is available in.

B.2. Update translations when source document changes

When the source language document is edited, translations made from the 
source language should be marked as needing updating of the translation 
(enter translation update workflow). It should be possible to view the 
changes made in the source document. Possible use "document needs 
updating/reviewing" workflow as specified in A.4. above.

B.3. Simple translator aids

1) Side by side view of source doucment and translation.
2) Multilingual dictionary tool.

B.4. Coordinated publishing and withdrawal of original and translations

Need marker for when a translation is completed and ready to be 
published; if attempting to publish the document and translations and 
there are unfinished translations the user should be warned that not all 
material is ready. If the user chooses to continue to publish anyway, 
only completed translations should be published. Publishing and 
withdrawal should be simultaneous for all (completed) translations of a 
document.

-- 
Leonard Norrgard
Tel.: +358-400-434808
Email: leo...@re...