Multi language support for Custom Metadata

The feature wiki entry should consider the discussion of the entry Multilingual Input Element.

1 Requirements

In contrast to ILIAS, the Custom Metadata (CM) service does not support multiple languages. There is a requirement for CM to support different languages, especially since ILIAS 5.4 does support multilingualism in courses.
 
As of today Custom Metadata is widely used for single language systems only, due to lack of that feature.

2 Conceptual Summary

• Title and description of a metadata set should support multiple languages
• Title and description of a field should support multiple languages, identical to ILIAS objects. ILIAS displays title and description
• The values of Drop-Downs and Checkboxes should be translatable as well. This should be supported by any (upcoming) fields displaying text to the user.
• Admins should be able to choose default language as fallback language (see course multilingualism)

For selected metadata types, there may be a need for adaptation in the relevant learning object.

It might be necessary to have „missing“ translation for a value, a field or data set. For example if the feature is not used in the corresponding country or there are different amounts of values. A metadata field “Training topics” could have different values and different amount of values for different languages (countries).

Meyer, Stefan [smeyer]: 11. Feb 2019, A different amount of field values is not handled in this feature request. All values require a translation. If a translation is not available in a specific language, the "default" language entry is presented.
 
When choosing from the given values as a local administrator (e.g. in a course) and the language you have selected does not have the translation, a fallback value from default language needs to be provided. This could be done with a hint, that the value is a fallback-value. (E. g. square brackets: [Cologne], when german translation is missing)
 
Therefore it might be necessary to have the values in system language to be required, where as the translated values could remain optional.
When changing the system language the system could check for the translations provided in metadata and give feedback, when any translations in system language are missing and need to be added.

3 User Interface Modifications

3.1 List of Affected Views

The affected views should use the KitchenSink-Element "UI View Control"

• Administration Custom Metadata (Titel / Description)
• Administration Custom Metadata (detail)
• Administration Custom Metadata within Learning Objekt

3.2 User Interface Details

OPTION 1

OPTION 2

3.3 New User Interface Concepts

none.

4 Technical Information

none.

5 Contact

• Author of the Request: Zenzen, Enrico [ezenzen]
• Maintainer: Meyer, Stefan [smeyer]
• Implementation of the feature is done by (will be set by Jour Fixe / maintainer)

6 Funding

If you are interest in funding this feature, please add your name and institution to this list.

• …

7 Discussion

JourFixe, ILIAS [jourfixe], 11 FEB 2019 : We highly appreciate this suggestion and schedule it for 6.0 with the following changes / modifications:

• To ease the administration of multi-lingual datasets we would like to have an additional toggle "All" that shows all existing data fields for all supported (activated langauges)
• Adding or removing additional entries for a data field should only be possible for the default language (no + / - for other languages).

JourFixe, ILIAS [jourfixe], 25 MAY 2020 : We still would like to have this feature and re-schedule it for ILIAS 7 with the requirements made in the last JF decision 2019.

8 Implementation

Configure available languages:

Test Cases

Test cases completed on 2020-10-26 by Tödt, Alexandra [atoedt]

• 42253 : Mehrsprachigkeit für benutzerdefinierten Metadatensatz aktivieren
• 42254 : Datenfelder anlegen für benutzerdefinierte Metadatensätze anlegen
• 42255 : Benutzer sieht Metadatum in seiner Sprache

Approval

Approved at 10. Nov. 2020 by Bromberger, Norbert [bromberger].