In the context of a multilingual site, what is considered "interface text" and what is "content"?

sonfd

12/4/22, 3:15 PM

On the Language Selection and Detection configuration page (in the toolbar, Manage > Configuration > Regional and language > Languages > Selection and Detection), I see that I can detect and set "Interface text language" and "Content language" differently. But I don't see a clear definition of those terms anywhere.

I have a hardcoded heading within a node template:

<h2>{{ "Hello world"|t }}</h2>

This heading's text is translated to my "Interface text" language while the other content (node fields) is translated to "Content" language.

To me, it looks like "Interface text" is any text that's passed through t() or uses the trans or t filters in twig while "Content" is just content within a content entity, e.g node, media, taxonomy term, etc fields.

What is "interface" and what is "content" in this [multilingual] context?

0 + 6

i18n-l10n

4uk4

12/4/22, 3:30 PM

If you want both to match then don't configure a content language detection method. Besides interface and content there is a third translation module for config, so you also see a different language for options list fields for example. This can be even more annoying seeing field content translated differently. Config is translated in the same language as interface.

sonfd

12/4/22, 3:43 PM

Thanks @4k4 - I'm really just trying to get a clear definition of what is considered "interface text" and what is considered "content". I removed the second half of the question because I see that is opening a can of worms.

Clive

12/4/22, 4:10 PM

I think you’ve already covered it - interface translations are the ones that go through `t`, content translations are content entity field translations

sonfd

12/4/22, 5:00 PM

Alright, thanks. That's what I thought, but I was struggling with "Interface text" being the label for that and I couldn't find a clear definition anywhere.

sonfd

12/4/22, 7:50 PM

@4k4 - if you want to post a version of your comment as an answer, I'll accept it. Otherwise, I'll add one.

liquidcms

12/10/22, 8:29 PM

I've been struggling with this as well and I had thought the definition of this would have been something a bit more functional. I had hoped that interface was simple admin/editor actions like Edit tab, Apply button so that a person could work on a site in their preferred language without understanding the content. But this, sadly, isn't what Drupal is doing. Certainly confusing if it is as you have said. I see "content" of my node and the text fields use content translation; except date fields don't. And field labels don't. Sort of useless.

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: In the context of a multilingual site, what is considered "interface text" and what is "content"?

TH: ในบริบทของไซต์หลายภาษา สิ่งที่เรียกว่า "ข้อความอินเทอร์เฟซ" และ "เนื้อหา" คืออะไร

RO: În contextul unui site multilingv, ce este considerat „text de interfață” și ce este „conținut”?

RU: В контексте многоязычного сайта, что считается «текстом интерфейса», а что «контентом»?

VI: Trong ngữ cảnh của một trang web đa ngôn ngữ, điều gì được coi là "văn bản giao diện" và "nội dung" là gì?

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