[Xerte] Re: Xerte 2: MVC approach to displayed text

[Kemp Johnathan]

My argument is that they are not part of how the page functions but part of
the display. Even if the language used remained English some users might
prefer to modify the message, if only to make two pages that are based on
the same template or wizard present differently.

I don't think making all language based labels and text strings need
significantly increase the complexity of a page, but it would remove one
extra inconsistency for anyone who would like to use Xerte but wants to
present to the user in a different language. I can't help but think of
Moodle, where they made a conscious decision to parameterise text labels so
that the software would be viable to an international market.

The major issues if this route is followed are
a) back catalogue - modifying the existing pages
b) with respect to the Page Wizards whether the method I am proposing will
result in .rlm files that will also be able to access the data in a Page
Templates / Toolkits Environment without requiring modification. If we can
agree now on a way for defining the data in Page Templates then I can code
this into the Page Wizards knowing that I won't be creating .rlm files that
need reworking before they are used in a Page Templates environment.

Unless there is a strong feeling from the Xerte team that they would not
want the Page Wizards to offer better support for international use then I
would like to implement this as part of a significant update to the Page
Wizards.

Kind regards

Johnathan

On 3 May 2011 15:50, Julian Tenney <Julian.Tenney at nottingham.ac.uk> wrote:

> They don’t all need exposing to the end user though, only relevant ones. I
> suppose you could argue that they are all relevant, so there is a balance
> between simplicity and configurability,
>
>
>
> *From:* xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk [mailto:
> xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] *On Behalf Of *Kemp Johnathan
> *Sent:* 03 May 2011 14:11
> *To:* Xerte discussion list
> *Subject:* [Xerte] Re: Xerte 2: MVC approach to displayed text
>
>
>
> Getting back on topic for a moment.
>
>
>
> If Xerte pages are going to consider being more linquistically modifiable
> then as well as the language strings being exposed to an xwd driven form, it
> may be worthwhile also exposing in the same xwd form the width of any
> buttons in the model that display text. If the button's label and width
> properties are exposed in the wizard then anyone using a different language
> can adjust the width of the button to accommodate the length of the text
> string they wish to use.
>
>
>
> For example according to google translate "Next" in Russian is "Следующая"
> which is definitely going to need a wider button!
>
>
>
> Kind regards
>
>
>
> Johnathan
>
>
>
> On 3 May 2011 13:02, Kemp Johnathan <johnathan.kemp at ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
> Recently someone posted for help in locating where some text strings were
> contained in pages as they wanted to convert the page for use in a language
> other than English.
>
>
>
> Would it be a good idea to establish a standard by which all displayed text
> in a Xerte Page model was entered via the page's wizard?
>
> Currently pages like the quiz page have embedded in the code in the .rlm
> file statements like
>
> fb = 'The quiz is complete.
>
> tooltip="Next Question"
>
> fb += '<br><br>You scored '
>
>
>
> If all such text was replaced with data calls to an external xml source
> then these strings could be readily modified using an xwd defined form. This
> could open up Xerte more readily for use internationally.
>
>
>
> I have been doing some testing recently with Page Wizards and have found
> that I can add a language block to the xwd and xml files e.g.
>
>
>
> *xwd content*
>
>
>
> <wizard>
>
> <!--DIALOG
> INTERACTION------------------------------------------------------------------->
> <dialog hint="An interaction comprising a sequence of text-entry
> interactions forming a short dialog.">
>
> <text type="TextArea" height="100" label="Text"/>
> <attempts type="ComboBox" width="100" options="1,2,3,4" label="Attempts
> before hint"/>
>
> <narration type="media" label="Narration" optional="true"/>
>
> <newNodes>
> <dialogStep><![CDATA[<dialogStep name="question" question="Write your
> question here." answer="Enter Answer" hint="Enter a hint"/>]]></dialogStep>
> </newNodes>
>
> </dialog>
> <dialogLang>
> <tryAgain type="TextInput" label="Try Again Prompt"/>
> <continue type="TextInput" label="Continue Prompt"/>
> <showAnswer type="TextInput" label="Reveal Prompt"/>
> </dialogLang>
>
> <dialogStep menuItem="Question" icon="icComment" remove="true" max="12">
>
> <question type="TextArea" height="100" label="Question"/>
> <answer type="TextInput" label="Answer"/>
> <commentary type="TextArea" height="100" label="Commentary"/>
> <hint type="TextInput" label="Hint"/>
>
> </dialogStep>
>
> </wizard>
>
>
>
> *XML content*
>
>
>
> <learningObject>
> <dialogLang tryAgain="Try Again" continue="Press Enter to continue"
> showAnswer="The correct answer has been revealed" />
> <dialog linkID="" text="Enter text for the page here" attempts="2">
> <dialogStep name="question" question="Write your question here. 1"
> answer="Enter Answer 1" hint="Enter a hint 1" />
> <dialogStep name="question" question="Write your question here. 2"
> answer="Enter Answer 2" hint="Enter a hint 2" />
> </dialog>
> </learningObject>
>
>
>
> *Rlm examples*
>
>
>
> The model file can then access the language strings defined in the wizard
> by calls to the xml data
>
>
>
> pageIcon.templateData.learningObject[0].dialogLang[0].showAnswer
>
>
>
> (With forthcoming changes to the Page Wizards this will soon be reduced
> to   pageIcon.templateData.dialogLang[0].showAnswer  )
>
>
>
> I have tested this and it works.
>
>
>
> This approach has the distinct advantage of providing a separate page in
> the wizard form, for the language strings, thus avoiding having forms that
> are significantly longer than the window in which they are displayed. It
> also separates the display related text from the content related text.
>
>
>
> However it requires separate blocks outside of the <dialog></dialog> tags
> which may not prove compatible with pageTemplates.
>
>
>
> *Can anyone more aufait with pageTemplates or On-line toolkits see any
> problems with this approach in terms of it being transferred to
> pageTemplates /  On-line toolkits, or can you think of a better way that
> would be more compatible with the way the xml and xwd data is organised in
> the pageTemplates environment?*
>
>
>
> As a result of other recent development work I have carried out on the Page
> Wizards I believe a single .rlm file that could be used both within Page
> Wizards and  pageTemplates (and presumably therefore On-line toolkits) is
> now achievable. I would like therefore to consider the implementation of
> better support for language support in a context that considers both Page
> Wizards and pageTemplates based pages.
>
>
>
> Kind regards
>
>
>
> Johnathan
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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