URLs for the "An alt Decision Tree" page by language

[tmatsuur]

The URL "​https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree" appears to have pages in several languages at this time.

For example, "​https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/ja" is in Japanese.

Currently, this URL is not translated and is written directly in PHP and JavaScript files.

I believe it would be desirable to include this URL as a translation target and be able to change it to the URL corresponding to each language.

[joedolson]

For long term support, we'll probably want to keep an index that maps the WAI's translation codes to our languages and use that for figuring out what to show. If we can encourage people from the polyglots team to contribute additional translations to the WAI so we can expand coverage, that would also be awesome.

Related: ​https://github.com/WordPress/Gutenberg/issues/19068

Retrieves the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) language code for a specified locale, allowing the external URL to be built with in the user language parameter when supported. Based on @joedolson's suggestion of keeping a map between WordPress locales and WAI language codes.

The function was added to /wp-includes/l10n.php, so it can be used from both /wp-admin/includes/media.php and /wp-includes/media-template.php. Unit tests were added as well.

It can be accessed in the WordPress Admin at:

• Media Library, list mode: /wp-admin/post.php?post=[ID]&action=edit
• Media Library, grid mode -> Image details modal: /wp-admin/upload.php?item=[ID]

Trac ticket: https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/60975

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This Pull Request is for code review only. Please keep all other discussion in the Trac ticket. Do not merge this Pull Request. See ​GitHub Pull Requests for Code Review in the Core Handbook for more details.

[oglekler]

@joedolson can we just make the URL translatable without any complications? I believe that local translators should check if their language is available or there is some other appropriate language available and put in place the link.

[SergeyBiryukov]

Replying to oglekler:

can we just make the URL translatable without any complications? I believe that local translators should check if their language is available or there is some other appropriate language available and put in place the link.

Yes, I think introducing a dedicated function for this is probably an overkill at this point, and it does not seem to provide an easy way for translators to change the URL once a new localized version is available, as that would require a change in the core code.

Unless I'm missing something, just making the link translatable should be enough here.

[joedolson]

Well, that's an obvious solution that for some reason didn't occur to me.

I think we'll want to have a translator comment that points people to where to find translations (and maybe even guides people to where they can contribute W3C translations), but otherwise, yes - this seems like a sensible solution.

[joedolson]

Thanks for your work, @myhro, but having this be translatable will make it much, much easier to add new translations in the future as they come available. Otherwise, we'd need to commit an update in order to get new translations into the system.

[myhro]

Thanks for the feedback, @joedolson. Looks like making the link translatable is indeed way simpler.

[joedolson]

Patch that makes URL translatable.

[sabernhardt]

1. The patch also will need to update the URL in wp-includes/media-template.php.
2. The URL has a trailing slash now.
3. I think the translator comment could benefit from mentioning the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative because that is the intended source.
4. Once these two PHP changes are complete, it would be good to open a GitHub issue and/or pull request to update the ​Gutenberg links too.

[joedolson]

Updated patch

[joedolson]

Related issue added in Gutenberg repository: ​https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/62038

[joedolson]

I added a reference in the comment text to the W3C WAI initiative, although in all honesty if there is a good resource in a translator's language that isn't the W3C, that's probably better than an English-only resource that users can't learn from.

[sabernhardt]

Small edit: "Initiative" would need another i (which could be fixed when committing)

[joedolson]

In 58240:

Media: Accessibility: Make alt text information URL translatable.

Allow translators to replace the W3C WAI decision tree link used to provide information about writing alt text. Improves accessibility for non-English speaking content authors.

Props tmatsuur, joedolson, oglekler, SergeyBiryukov, myhro, sabernhardt.
Fixes #60975.