Server: Option to force a specific language

[Dreadeath]

In NC11 default_language in config.php is ignored, right? In NC10 all was fine.

Also I can't find settings/languageCodes.php file according to this.

[nickvergessen]

@MorrisJobke you killed the file, any idea how to do the docs now?

The default language is only used when the brower does not send a language.
This was changed in 11, so now the "default" is a default instead of a "force"

[Dreadeath]

This was changed in 11, so now the "default" is a default instead of a "force"

Is there a simple way to bring back "force" behavior? Maybe new feature like force_language?

[nickvergessen]

Not atm, why would you like users to get a different language then what they want to read?

[Dreadeath]

Because "what they want to read" is not always equals to "how their browser is set up", especially when there is a group of (very) non-technical users that you definitely know speaks one language.

[rullzer]

The thing is we can't see the difference. So assume userA sets up their browser to their proper locale and then gets the website served in a different language. This is just weird and confusing.

If a user wants a different language they can always switch in the user settings.
I mean if people can read their whole interface in language X they can probably also find the settings.

[Dreadeath]

If user can set browser to use one language, he is also able to find NC settings to change it once and forever.

But if non-technical user (e.g. your grandma) see wrong language for whatever reason, you do not want him to call you and annoy that "WTF, you break it all".

I know that all of my private NC instance users speaks one language. I don't need even theoretical possibility that language will change somehow for them. I know maybe it is not right for default behavior, but there are situations like mine where it can save you time and nerves ;)

[nickvergessen]

This still works on the old cloud...

Was changed in https://github.com/nextcloud/server/pull/1259

Would it make sense to have something like a "force language" option, which then always uses default-lang, not allowing to change the language in the personal settings? That is what @schiessle and me came up with as a best solution.

[nickvergessen]

Also I my browser shows: "de, en-US, en", I killed the preference, but still get english. All requests have the accept-language header set to en-US,en;q=0.5. So I get english, although my browser should tell german?

Okay seems like this is a bug in firefox, I just moved de down and up again and now it sends de,en-US;q=0.7,en;q=0.3 correctly

[Dreadeath]

I don't know if not letting people to change language is best solution, but it would be better than nothing.

Also, I got this Firefox bug too.

[kohtala]

@Dreadeath, I was behind the bug #970 that resulted in this changing. I'd like to understand what is the real world issue the change might have caused.

Do you have some browser that defaults Accept-Language header to some other language from the user interface of the browser? Could you be more specific what browser is being used? What is the UI language, what is the Accept-Language header? How come the Accept-Language is something the user does not understand?

[MichaRivera]

Hi,

I'd like to have de_DE as default for my users (the formal style), but now in NC11 "de" is selected as default (informal). Off course I set default_language = de_DE in config.php
How can I force this now?

[frilancer]

Nextcloud 12 also suffers from this. Is there any workaround or plans for upcoming release in NC12?

[kohtala]

@frilancer, could you be more specific what you are experiencing? Is it like @MichaRivera, who wants to select certain sublanguage of de?

Or would you like to force for example user having Finnish language browser to see German NextCloud interface?

I'm thinking if your requirement would be better satisfied by having a language mapping rather than implement force_language to force all users to some specific language regardless of the language of their browser. I think there is some danger in forcing users to a language that they might not be fluent in.

[frilancer]

@kohtala, I don't want to force language on users but I do want start of week day to be Monday not Sunday and 24h time format for calendar app, so if having to force it upon them, though. ;-P

Idealy I would like to see an option for users to choose language and region. For instance, I like my NC to be in English (prefferably in en_GB) but I would like NC to honor my regional settings (I'm from Slovenia, so 24h time format, Monday is the first day of the week,...).

In previous versions my workaround was to use English (UK), since they also use 24h time format and they start a week on Monday, but since NC12 I can't choose any other English than US.

[pixelipo]

@frilancer this was mentioned many times in Calendar app issue tracker. There is a plan to allow custom regional settings.

However, I can confirm that the English (UK) language setting - which solved the problem with a workaround - disappeared in NC12. Why is it so? In Transifex, it seems to be 100% translated, so it shouldn't be a problem... I guess we have to wait for next point release?

[nickvergessen]

Feel free to test https://github.com/nextcloud/server/issues/5498