| Project: | Drupal core |
| Version: | 6.x-dev |
| Component: | install system |
| Category: | bug report |
| Priority: | normal |
| Assigned: | Unassigned |
| Status: | closed (fixed) |
Issue Summary
The current installer puts up a significant chunk of text explaining how to download language packs. While this text is important, it is only relevant to users who 1) can read English and 2) want to install in some language other than English.
This patch moves that text aside, presenting the user with a list "Install Drupal in English" and "Learn how to install Drupal in other languages". If they select the second option, they are then presented with the text (which I have not modified) instructing them how to find and install a language pack. Otherwise, the installer continues.
Additionally, this fixes a problem that the install task was set to 'choose profile' which was very much wrong. Since we are now *always* asking if they want to install in English or find another language, install_task_list was modified to ensure that the task is always there, and re-arranged how the 'import translation pack' task list appears (ensuring it only appears if they are installing in a language other than English).
This patch doesn't remove it, but I believe this bid of code in install_task_list() is superfluous now:
<?php
// Keep the profile selection task if we have more profiles or only the
// default profile is available and with only the built-in language, in
// which case we use this screen to present information about translations.
if (count($profiles) == 1) {
$first_profile = array_shift($profiles);
if ($first_profile->name != 'default' || count($locales) > 1) {
unset($tasks['profile-select']);
}
}
?>I'm leaving that in for Goba's feedback, as I may be incorrect. I'm not 100% sure, but I think if we put the locale select always there, we should have profile-select always there and just put a green checkbox there if there was only one and we used the default profile.
| Attachment | Size | Status | Test result | Operations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wall_of_text.patch | 5.49 KB | Ignored: Check issue status. | None | None |
Comments
#1
Huge +1. I just got back into looking at core and installed HEAD clean to see this wall of text with "Localization of the Drupal installer" as the title. Even I was turned off and a bit confused. Showing this as somebody's first experience with Drupal is bad news bears.
One thing I still want to change is the "Localization of the Drupal installer" title. I won't hold this patch up with that as I can't think of something better, but along the lines of "Choose language to install Drupal in" (except not ending with preposition). "Localization of the Drupal installer" is a pretty unfriendly/techy phrase. Any ideas?
This patch makes that first screen much nicer, good stuff Earl!
#2
Aww. This text was my one and only claim to a mention in a core commit by Dries, too, from #142869.
But, that said, this change is a good idea, and makes the installer look positively svelte after a release cycle of staring at this text on new HEAD checkouts.
A couple of notes:
However, this may not be the fault of this patch, because reverting it and then trying to select a present language pack in 6.x-dev format doesn't appear to work correctly either. I'm positive this worked at some point, though, although perhaps the files from the previous issue are no longer good test candidates.
I'm leaving the status at CNR in the hopes that there's more of a chance someone with greater internationalization (or is it localization, here?) experience than I will notice the issue and speak to the language selection issue.
#3
1. Dries asked us to push this text to people's face: http://drupal.org/node/142869#comment-243436 I told him, that many people will object to it, but Dries said that it is important to present that we are multilanguage friendly at this very early stage. Of course it can be made better, but we need to check with Dries, what he thinks about the multistep process intorduced with this patch.
2. Sure, the title of the page is a bit techie.
3. Keith, the packages we presented earlier contain directories named 'po', while later the expected directory name became 'translations' to make it more friendly. So the previously posted packages will not work as-is. Here is an updated tarball, which can be used for testing in this issue.
#4
Goba: This patch presents that we are multi-language friendly almost immediately, but it doesn't overwhelm the user with too much text. Perhaps we should get Dries' opinion on whether the simple choice is enough. I totally understand the multi-language friendly aspect and am trying to find the right balance with good UI principles.
Right now, the wall of text presents a barrier.
#5
We discussed that with Earl the other day on IRC, I agree with the proposed solution. It stays explicit about multilingual features, while keeping the detailed instructions for when it's actually needed.
There is no need to let this current page be the first impression users get about Drupal.
#6
I haven't actually tried the patch but I've no problem changing the UI.
I leave this up to Gabor to decide. :)
#7
+1 from me. I was planning to make the same suggestion.
Another idea: What if the Choose Language page also had "Learn how to install Drupal in language-X" written in language-X for a variety of language-X's (whichever translation pack authors submitted the appropriate text)? That would be really slick.
#8
This is my only niggle with the installer.
Is a good idea.
Otherwise the multi-step to avoid the big lump of text would simplify things a lot. A the moment it's almost like you've jumped into the middle of the install process somehow.
#9
I just noticed that Keith said he was leaving this CNR but in fact set it CNW; I think he meant to leave it CNR.
I think the real niggle so far is the title of the page.
I vote for "Select installer language" but will otherwise leave this patch at CNR for other commentary.
#10
Earl: the patch looks good (not tested), but I think the verb in the second sentence is 'Learn', so it should be part of the link (which makes the whole sentence a link, which would be consistent with the other choice too). The profile menu item code you point to could definitely be removed.
RobRoy and Keith: the title should not use 'choose' or 'select' as you suggested, as the page provides information about how to grab the language package used, and does not make it possible to actually choose something. The 'choose' page is a different one. I don't have an outstanding idea about retitling the page, but I agree that it would be a good idea.
bjaspan and catch: if we would present the link in ten or fifteen languages, it would probably not get easier or friendlier to select the right one IMHO (do you find it easy to find product descriptions on packaging in the shop for the right language, if there are no flags or 'country' signs on the box?). It would also provide an expectation to actually read the instructions in your language, which makes it a bit puzzling, why a complete package needs to be downloaded still to continue in that language!? While we could ship with simple (link title and download instructions only) translations to some languages, many might not be ready at release time. This might provide an impression, that they are not available at all. After all, the installer would present a concrete list of languages then. Anyway, lots of things to think about here.
#11
This changes the link as per Goba's suggestion. I changed the title against Goba's suggestion, on the grounds that this IS the choose language page, it just happens to be a placeholder for when there are no languages to choose. But from the perspective of flow, this is the that page, and that's where the install task list says we are. That is consistent and makes sense with the flow.
#12
Here are screenshots to make some of this easier on people:
#13
2
#14
Much better! Committed. Thanks folks.
#15
After discussing this a bit with Steven, I realize I misunderstood part of what that check for profile-select is doing, and it shouldn't have been removed; it did, however, need to be stripped down.
To explain: When the explanation about how to download translations page was added, Goba added it so that it appeared as part of the 'Choose profiles' page. I realize now this was intentional, but when I was first writing this patch I thought it was a bit of an oversight, and I didn't fully read and understand a couple of comments. This piece of code install_task_list() was helping to overload the use of the choose profile page to present this text.
When I made this patch, I moved it to the Choose Language page, which makes a lot more sense in the flow. In this manner, we're now using this page as a placeholder for when we have no languages, giving the user a chance to even realize that he or she CAN go get other languages. Since we are not (currently) doing that for profiles, we still need to remove "Choose profile" from the list if there is only one profile, which is how the installer originally acted.
This small patch fixes that minor oversight.
(It may be possible that we want to add something similar to let users know they can go and fetch alternative install profiles. However, that would be a separate patch, and this should still go in ahead of it, IMO, unless there was a 110% guarantee that such a feature would be written and go in).
#16
Yes, that was intentional. Thanks for the patch, committed!
#17