This week we have a few nice tweaks for those using multi-language support and translation tools in ProcessWire. Plus improvements to the 2.8.x branch, and a new feature for repeaters.
With the recent introduction of ProcessWire 2.8, there have been questions about what module versions it can run. This week we updated ProcessWire 2.8.x to support ProcessWire 3.x-specific modules.
It supports them in much the same way that 3.x supports 2.x modules, by using the file compiler. So for those of you that have been wanting to use Repeater Matrix (or some other 3.x module) in ProcessWire 2.x, now you can do so in ProcessWire 2.8.23 or newer.
Repeaters (including Repeater Matrix) have been updated with a new option that was recently requested: the ability to keep repeater items open. Specifically, when you've edited a repeater item and saved it, you may want items you were working on to continue to remain open.
This is particularly useful on pages with a lot of repeater items, where the item you were editing might be difficult to find again. To enable this option, edit your repeater field settings, and check the box for this new setting (at the bottom of the Details tab).
This week a new option was added for support of language translation files (in Setup > Languages > any language). Now you can export all of the translations (in the JSON files) to a single CSV file. This action can be performed just by clicking on the new "Download CSV" button, which is next to the existing "Download ZIP" button.
The CSV file can then be edited in any spreadsheet. Use of a CSV file also makes it simpler to import into other tools as well.
When you are done making edits to the CSV file, you can drag it back into the files field in ProcessWire, and it will import all the translations back into the appropriate JSON translation files. This could be a nice time saver for translation!
Lately when I'm working on multi-language sites, I'm wanting to focus on one language at a time. Currently, the language tabs let you switch any field to any language, but any other fields in the page editor remain in whatever language they were in. This has led me to accidentally paste in the wrong translation on occasion.
This week a long-click support was added to language tabs so that when you click the tab, and briefly hold (aka long-click), it will switch to that language for ALL of the fields in the page editor. Of course, that's not going to be obvious to people that don't read this post, so we've added a tip about it directly into the page editor. When you hover a language tab, a note appear to the right of the tabs indicating this option.
For the multi-language sites that I help to develop/maintain, the number one question I get from others is "what file is that phrase in?". Inevitably someone comes across a phrase on the front-end of a site that is yet untranslated, and nobody knows exactly where to find it (including me), short of doing a grep on the /site/templates/ directory. Not anymore…
Now there is a live search box built into the language editor that lets you start typing text from any translatable phrase, and it will tell you exactly what file it's in, and what the full phrase is. If you click on the result, it will take you to edit the file. If a JSON translation file doesn't yet exist, it will create it for you. Like some of the other updates this week, this should really improve the workflow in multi-language sites and translation.
Thanks for reading and hope that you have a great weekend and week ahead. Remember to visit the ProcessWire Weekly this weekend!
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“ProcessWire is like a breath of fresh air. So powerful yet simple to build with and customise, and web editors love it too.” —Margaret Chatwin, Web developer
Lenz
- 8 years ago
- 40
★★★★★These new features are awesome and extremely useful. Especially the csv language file export / import comes in handy, if you work together with translation agencies.
Also the remain open after saving feature for repeaters is a relief if you work with numerous repeater fields.
Thank you very much for this stellar and well thought out work.
May Processwire live long and prosper
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Can
- 8 years ago
- 10
★★★★★Great! Just tried language tabs long click..Thanks Ryan!
Always thought about some kind of toggle but your solution is even better because it works from any tab, while changing language of one field anyways without scrolling to top or somewhere to get to the toggle!! :D
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