Topic on Talk:Universal Language Selector

Thanks for all your efforts to make ULS user friendly.

At Marathi language wikipedia since time of 'Narayam' we were looking for a feature to make Marathi as default content language for certain pages (like sand box etc) and/or certain namespaces. 'Narayam' could not do that , would it be possible with ULS ?

If yes then let we know we can file a bug at bugzilaa.

Regards

In MediaWiki, content pages always have the wiki's content langauge by default. By using "<div lang="code">...</div>" you can ensure that text is tagged properly, and that web fonts are applied to parts of text as expected. For inline words, do not use "div" but use "span". Some wikis have the template {{lang}} for this.

If you meant something different, then please describe what it is exactly you are after.

Sorry for delay in the reply, Since, June month is begining of academic year and admissions period for majority of our users, hits had gone down and it was defficult to ascretain exact response to ULS on Marathi language Wikipedia.Since end of June user activity is coming back to normal. I have tried to analyse data from 24 June 2013 to 10th of July 2013. All this is about using ULS for inputting Marathi language which has been our real and majior concern.

New users inputting Marathi Data	Number of Users success in inputting Marathi	Those who used Roman script to type Marathi	Marathi people who used english
1)Newbies with account+ips first timers,typing effort other than special sandbox page	37	10	15
2)Newbies with account+ips first timers,typing effort on special sandbox page	10	28	17
Totals Row1+Row2	47	38	32

• Row1:
  • Newbies with account Contribution is sourced and counted from [http://mr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/newbies
  • ip contribution is sourced from [http://mr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&hideliu=1
  • Newbie+ip efforts to contribute while creating very short new pages and stopped by edit filter are considered
  • First timer ips are guessed from their lack of skill level with wikimarkup
  • Whether user/ip is of Marathi background is guessed from user name or content wordings
• Row2:
  • Figures sourced from Hits catched by special purpose edit filter no 56, to the special sandbox,(Sandbox to practice inputting Marathi language) New users and ips get diverted with from welcome message and or mediawiki message to above mentioned special Sandbox
  • Since people are self selecting to reach out to special sanbox that means they are specifically intrested in learning Marathi typing input skills
• Above figures are for rough idea and can ip figures can not be exact due to related technical aspects.Detail study page at marathi wikipedia is http://mr.wikipedia.org/wiki/विकिपीडिया:मराठी_भाषेच्या_वापराबद्दल_धोरण/अभ्यास
• For inputting text Marathi language wikipedia initially used to use local java to provide transliteration, there after we shifted to Narayam , Now since begining of June 2013 we are using ULS.
• If you see above figures now new user success ratio to input Marathi is around 40%
  • While we did not do such exercize earlier I have been personally creating all related help pages, (We have put in substantial effort for the same) and studying new user behaviour extensively I feel there is substantial improvement in success rate of users becoming able to input Marathi with help of new ULS,nodoubt compliments and thanks for the same.
  • Rest of 60% are also serious potential users, currently an user needs to select language of input; what we are requesting is to provide us facility where in ULS Marathi transliteration अक्षरांतरण can be made default on the special sandbox page विकिपीडिया:धूळपाटी/केवळ_मराठी on Marathi Wikipedia so first timer need not select language of input.

Hope and request to look into above.

Thanks and Warm regards

Additional information on input methods usage pattern among Marathi People on internet from online survey. Sample size is very small but still can put some light on some of the finer aspects

Marathi unicode input systms used by online users	percentage of users per system
Tell us how to type	9%
Want more info	18%
Whichever Marathi language website we visit we use their local transliteration system	39%
Windows IME/inscript	6%
Baraha transliteration	3%
Google Trasnliteration	22%
GaMaBhaNa Transliteration	1%

• Above figures highlite the fact that current online usage of inscript wont be beyond 10%.Most of Marathi language websites provide nongoogle-transliteration that roughly translates around 45% users, roughly 25 % users use google transliteration.Roughly 30% people still find it defficult to aquire the input skill.

• Even after extensive descriptive and practicle support on Marathi Wikipedia 40% people find it difficult one more reason is many of them are coming with Google Marathi search and are used to Google transliteration system which is bit different than rest of transliteration systems.Rest of transliteration systems for example if I type letters bit rest of transliterators will do bब iइ t ट one letter against one letter instead what google transliterator does is it transliterates word by word, eg after typing complete word 'bit' usually I will press shift key for space and google provides transliteration only after pressing of the shift key so the user has a feeling transliteration happens word by word and automatically. When such users aproach on Marathi wikipedia they realise that is not happening they might be hoping that transliteration automatically would happen once they save button.
  • Rest of Marathi language website also Marathi input transliteration is default so new users end up wondering why they are not getting Marathi out put on Marathi wikipedia ?
  • Our rest of experinced users at times swmts usually delete such contributions as spam or vandalism and new user dosent get enough further opportunity to experiment although he is willing thats why he reaches to special sand box. Now what we need is an input system that is default for the given page or may be an input box so the user understands that here on wikipedia transliteration operation happens bit differently that google transliteration.
  • And this is what makes me think that since bult of the users are transliteration users online lay out for this purpose would benefit them or link to a help page

Hi, Thanks for these information, but would you please point out whether you need any improvements or changes in our typing tools based on this data? We are working on having help links to all input methods in ULS. The help pages will have keyboard layouts. See this example. On-screen keyboards are planned. It will take some time to get ready.

If you need any improvements in the tools, Bugzilla is the most appropriate place to report. Thanks.

Hi, Thanks for your positive response. Let me list all my wish list here for my own convinience and then file the bugs one by one.

1) When not-logged in (ip) user goes to language >> language settings >>Display language (which he currently can not change without being logged in) >> if he selects link log in and logs in >>Requested enhancement : ULS language setting displya should be open next to MediaWiki:Loginsuccess or best thing is link of ULS language setting in MediaWiki:Loginsuccess to all the users

• Purpose: To complete users expected logical next step of action of language selection in smooth manner.

2)For not logged in users (in non VE environment) MediaWiki:Anoneditwarning should display ULS - selction of input method option list for content language in an horizontal manner (to save the space) since currently sign apearing in a distant corner of edit window is not a clear enough indication to a new anon user.

• Purpose in those namespaces where VE support is not available

3) In VE pagesettings>>languages below MediaWiki:Visualeditor-dialog-meta-languages-section the option button should be available 'Visit ULS language settings' for current {{contentlanguage}} wiki >> Then dialog box of ULS language settings should open up

4) a: Currently language list displayed below MediaWiki:Visualeditor-dialog-meta-languages-readonlynote/mr does not open the respective language wiki but when that is possible along with that respective language item ULS should offer option to open up the respective language wiki with related display and/or input .May be this shall need to mingle three extensions VE,wikidata,ULS and also

4)b When in menubar languages displayed by wikidata if curser hover over any wiki language name options as requested in 4a should display and available.

The above message is not opening for further editing so adding the further list here

5) All wikis,other than english wikipedia ULS input options for input should be availabe as dropdown menu on VE toolbar File:VisualEditor.toolbar.png just below the page settings with sign + eneble input methods/'select input method'/name of current selected input method as heading.

6) When curser hovers over sign it should display text select your input method

7) currrent 'control+m' toggel option is available but is usefull in between selected language keyboard and pc-native keyboard, one more toggle option for bilingual usage like say japanese and sanskrit, this option would be benefitting for wiktionaries.

8) Narayam used to have colour for edit window when typing is on, ULS language settings should offer 3 colours user selectable options for edit window,

8) Make available facility to make ULS input default for special sandbox page for practice

9) Enhance Extension:InputBox with a special 2 new parameter 1) input-language-code 2) Input method from ULS; so these input boxes can be used on input practice page as well as usefull to most language learning articles on various wikibooks

Thanks for the bug reports. We have triaged some and will be triaging the rest them shortly. Some of the requests need consultations and we'll be updating more information through the relevant bugs. Do feel free to let me know if you need any assistance about Bugzilla.

Thanks for your nice support. Triaging is understandable process,I am sure all of you are giving your best. Since VE will begin soon on rest of language wikis we are more concerned about Bug no.49569

Thanks again and best wishes