language Persistence bug?

[amberbb]

I've recently been playing around with the various language options for the booking page and discovered a peculiar (but rather rare - at least until Beds24.com becomes widespread) and unexpected behaviour.

This is the scenario:

Visit the Beds24.com booking page that has enabled language options other than English.

An example would be http://epicea.ch/ in Switzerland where the
direct URL for their Beds24.com booking page is
https://www.beds24.com/booking.php?prop ... rer=epicea

Click on the french tricolour at top right to enable the Beds24.com booking page in French.

beds24.com2012-3-27.png (190.51 KiB) Viewed 3460 times

Close the foreign language enabled Beds24.com booking page and visit a Beds24.com booking page that does NOT have any languages enabled.
(An example would be https://www.beds24.com/amberhouse)

Et voila, the (normally English) Beds24.com booking page is displayed in French!

And, since Amber House has not yet enabled any languages, there are no flags visible at top left to switch back to the (Beds24.com booking page default) language of English!

Perhaps ALL Beds24.com booking pages should have a Union Flag in the top right position (even if they have no other language possibilities) to avoid this rare but awkward scenario?

Also, consider implementing hover text when the mouse cursor is positioned over a "language flag" - eg:
"klik voor vertaling in het Nederlands/ Dutch",
"Cliquez pour la traduction dans le Français/ French",
"klicken Sie für Übersetzung in Deutschen; German",
"scattisi per la traduzione in italiano/ Italian",
"przetłumaczyć na język polski/ Polish",
"esta le para a tradução no português/ Portuguese",
etc

[markkinchin]

The preferred language selection is stored as a session variable for each visitor so it is remembered as the guest moves between the various booking pages.
To address the mentioned issue of I have added a test so that if the viewed property account changes (i.e. you look at a property from a different Beds24 account) the session variable is cleared and the language reverts to the default.

Nice idea about the hover text for the flags, I have added it.

[amberbb]

"...preferred language selection is stored as a session variable... [Now] I have added a test so that if the viewed property... changes... session variable is cleared and the language reverts to the default." [English]

Presumably session variables are stored as a cookie[s] on the potential customer's computer?

If my presumption is correct, do they naturally expire after a certain time [or specific user action] or do they persist indefinitely?

"...hover text for the flags, I have added..."

Yup, that's looking good now.

I'll have some time on my hands travelling in the next few weeks and fancy doing a bit of multi-language proof reading.
Would you be kind enough to privately email me (in confidence) a list of sites that have implemented languages other than English, please?

(We're also hoping to hire Japanese and Mandarin Chinese speaking staff shortly and, if we do, may possibly be able to assist with translations into those languages...)

[markkinchin]

We would be glad to add a Japanese and Chinese translation (and any other language on request).
The system uses UTF-8 so the characters should not be a problem.
My knowledge of these languages is null so I would be 100% reliant on your translations.

The process requires translation of approximately 300 phrases which I will supply in English.


Regarding the session variable, it is not permanent and will expire.

[amberbb]

"...requires translation of approximately 300 phrases which I will supply in English..."

I look forward to receiving those by email to the address you have on file for me then, Mark.

I can not guarantee this will happen, but there is a fighting chance that our winter "inn- sitter" is from either Japan or from Korea (with a working knowledge of both Japanese and Mandarin)...