Feature #87062
closed
Remove "language flags" from backend
Added by Markus Poerschke almost 6 years ago.
Updated 5 months ago.
Category:
Backend User Interface
Description
Currently a language is represented as a flag in the TYPO3 backend. This is an anti pattern. Flags represent countries or nations, but they do not represent languages.
Please take a look at this link: http://www.flagsarenotlanguages.com/blog/why-flags-do-not-represent-language/
- Flags are symbols that represent countries or nations.
- Languages represent a shared method of communication between people.
- Flags are unique to a country or nation: but languages are often spoken across national borders. By using a flag for a language, you may confuse or even offend users.
For example in Switzerland multiple languages are spoken: Frensh, Italian, German and Romansh. If you create a multi language project for a customer from Switzerland it is problematic to choose the right flags (this might getting more complicated in areas where people are more offended, if the wrong flag is used)
Therefore I recommend to replace the flags with the locale code or simply the name.
Files
- Subject changed from Remove flags from Sys Languages to Remove "language flags" from Backend
- Subject changed from Remove "language flags" from Backend to Remove "language flags" from backend
- Status changed from New to Accepted
I am not entirely sure about this one; I know that using flags for languages is an antipattern and is basically wrong, but take a look at the list module with flags and without them:
with flags¶
without flags¶
It is not about looking "better" or "worse" IMO; the flags helps to identify the language of a record immediatly.
- Status changed from Accepted to Needs Feedback
Hey Markus,
I think we should communicating about "localization" in the future with "locales" where a page / content etc. is bound to a locale (e.g. "American English", which is mostly fine to use a flag for), and not solely on "languages". What do you think?
Benni Mack wrote in #note-5:
Hey Markus,
I think we should communicating about "localization" in the future with "locales" where a page / content etc. is bound to a locale (e.g. "American English", which is mostly fine to use a flag for), and not solely on "languages". What do you think?
Hey Benni,
which flag will be used for the following locales?
It has to be a different flag for each locale. Since all mentioned languages are the official languages of the Swiss Confederation, the Flag of Switzerland should be used, but then, you cannot distinguish between. The different languages.
Maybe, it makes sense to make the icon optional, so the administrators can decide on their own, whether or not to have an icon?
I totally agree that in quite a few cases the flag does not work. since Task #99609: Streamline flag icons there are some "flag" icons which are just colors and additionally it is very easy to just extend/modify the site_language configuration and provide custom icons for such cases where it simply doesn't work.
custom icon
therefore I am closing this issue. feel free to contact me on slack for further discussions
- Related to Feature #96719: Introduce language icons for simplified language and sign language added
- Status changed from Resolved to Closed
Also available in: Atom
PDF
Updated by 
Updated by 
Updated by 
Updated by