How to manage product categories in different languages in a multilingual instances

Before we get into a complete multi-language data solution as discussed here we are trying to run Portuguese on katuma.

This is the solution I got to, I’d like to share it and ask: is it this valid?

Some notes:

  • this is a workaround, there will be disadvantages and not-so-perfect things
  • this is only for multilanguage instance where buyers, producers and hubs are all using and selling in the same language. Portuguese producers will sell in Portuguese to Portuguese customers, no Catalan reference in the process. I know in some instances a mix is needed.

In Product Taxonomies I created a category under Product called PT (for Portuguese), under this one I put a list of categories in Portuguese to be used by Portuguese producers.

After this, I go to Product list and use these new categories on Products of Portuguese seller:

And this is how the shops look like:
Portuguese


English

The only problem I see is the categories select box when editing the category of a Product.

Everyone will see all categories in both languages. We could rename the names of the categories from “Vegetais” to “PT - Vegetais”, it would show up on the shopfront but it would make things a bit better on this categories select box.

Are there any other issues with this solution that I may be missing?

Yes @luisramos0 this is definitely a solution. I am personally not in favor to use it and will tell you why.

Here is the French taxonomy:

As a hub manager when I create a product and want to attach a product category, here is the list I see:

As you see, the order is not the same. The way the appear in the list the hub manager sees is “random” somehow.
If we could display them in the order they are filled in configuration, that would be ok to use the workaround you suggest.
But I don’t want to make it more complicated for French users to fill in products by showing a list of 100 of category they will have to scroll (most users don’t know the categories, they scroll to find the good one). I already see the confusion they would face…
So for me until we have a way to either translate them, or display them in an intelligible way / not confusing way I prefer to tell non French users categories can’t be displayed in their language for now…

If you see an easy way to avoid the loooong and mixed language list of categories to appear (maybe just a quick fix to display them in the same order they are setup in configuration?) then the workaround would do the trick to start with…

Nice, thanks. I am pretty sure that it’s a 5 minutes PR to sort that list! I’ll have a look.

I registered a bug for the taxonomies order, it’s broken, if you try to change it, apparently works but if you refresh, it’s back to what it was: https://github.com/openfoodfoundation/openfoodnetwork/issues/2944
I gave myself 20minutes to try and solve this issue but I didnt manage to understand what’s wrong…

In another 20minutes I managed to create a quickwin issue and PR to sort the product categories alphabetically. It’s a good quickfix, isnt it? https://github.com/openfoodfoundation/openfoodnetwork/issues/2945

I would send you dozens of e-hugs @luisramos0 if you could make the category drop down list appear in some kind of logical (not random) order!!! It makes users crazy. we don’t care if its alphabetical or by the order in which the taxons are setup in configuration - either way is good. There just needs to be a logic to it so people can find the category they want.

AND THEN- your solution for multilingual instances (where sellers, hubs and buyers are using one language) is FANTASTIC, and I’m kind of embarassed I didn’t think of it. (Since I’ve been mulling about categories and their problems for a long time now.) We’ll use this solution in Canada once the drop down category order ‘bug’ is fixed!!

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