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Unclear errors are shown in the Content Translation template editor
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Description

Request

Error messages currently manifest in different ways on wiki, and it is not always clear how to fix them, or that they even exist and affect outcomes.

1st example: red text in infobox display when the edit mode for a metric field appears normal (height of building). it is unclear how to fix, or what the problem even is.
2nd example: when you add a field in an infobox, the field will not display reliably unless you select a corresponding label in most cases. at other times, even adding a label does not guarantee that the translated field will display. label selection should either be required or be skippable, but either way we need to manage user expectations around what will display.

Event Timeline

Amire80 renamed this task from Clear indication and user expectations around errors to Unclear errors are shown in the Content Translation template editor.Jun 25 2017, 8:50 PM

(Edited the title to reflect the bug description.)

Generally, the problem around this is that the templates are shown in a context that is quite different from the context for which they were made. They were made for articles that rendered for reading (not editing in WYSIWYG), in a particular wiki, in a particular language, with assumption of particular stylesheets (common.css, etc.), direction (ltr/rtl), categories, other templates, etc.

It's already imperfect in VE, which sometimes renders templates slightly differently from how they were intended to be shown, and even more problematic in Content Translations, which shows them in a narrower field, and always shows one of the sides in a language for which it wasn't intended.

It's a complicated thing to fix, but it will be addressed gradually over time.

This task has been assigned to the same task owner for more than two years. Resetting task assignee due to inactivity, to decrease task cookie-licking and to get a slightly more realistic overview of plans. Please feel free to assign this task to yourself again if you still realistically work or plan to work on this task - it would be welcome!

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