[Bug]: translated readme.md (for the folder) doesn't show when switching language

[audunmb]

⚠️ This issue respects the following points: ⚠️

• [X] This is a bug, not a question or a configuration/webserver/proxy issue.
• [X] This issue is not already reported on Github OR Nextcloud Community Forum (I've searched it).
• [X] Nextcloud Server is up to date. See Maintenance and Release Schedule for supported versions.
• [X] I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct.

Bug description

Readme.md-files are saved as lesmeg.md when I use Nextcloud in Norwegian. Though, when someone uses Nextcloud in English, the lesmeg.md-file is not interpreted as a readme.md-file for that folder, and it is not shown as a description for that folder.

I guess this happens with other languages as well.

Steps to reproduce

1. Change language setting to Norwegian
2. Add a description to a folder (which is saved as lesmeg.md)
3. Change language setting to English
4. Open folder and observe that the description isn't showing.

Expected behavior

Expected behaviour is that folder descriptions are shown regardless of which language the user has.

I guess the current behaviour is the result of having an option to have translated folder descriptions, but when the result is that folder descriptions aren't shown at all if a user has a different language than what is used for the default description this is a bug.

As in my case, multilingual users will have no problem reading folder descriptions in Norwegian, despite choosing English as the default language (or vice versa).

Installation method

None

Nextcloud Server version

27

Operating system

None

PHP engine version

None

Web server

None

Database engine version

None

Is this bug present after an update or on a fresh install?

None

Are you using the Nextcloud Server Encryption module?

None

What user-backends are you using?

• [ ] Default user-backend (database)
• [ ] LDAP/ Active Directory
• [ ] SSO - SAML
• [ ] Other

Configuration report

No response

List of activated Apps

No response

Nextcloud Signing status

No response

Nextcloud Logs

No response

Additional info

I'm on a hosted solution by Tab.Digital, so don't have access to all the technical details of the setup. They aren't relevant for this bug.

[kesselb]

Moving to the text repository as the related code is here: https://github.com/nextcloud/text/blob/main/lib/Service/WorkspaceService.php

[max-nextcloud]

@audunmb Thanks for your report. You have a point. We'll need to discuss how best to address this.

[joshtrichards]

Related: #5446

[XueSheng-GIT]

@max-nextcloud is there a workaround until this is fixed? For non english and non technically skilled persons it's currently not possible to add folder descriptions.

Update: Just double checked on NC29.0.7 and realized that folder descriptions are now recognized even if those are automatically translated. Can you confirm that this issue was fixed in the meantime?

[max-nextcloud]

Can you confirm that this issue was fixed in the meantime?

@XueSheng-GIT I don't think anything has changed. Here's how I understand the problem:

1. user has a different language set and creates a folder description -> folder description is named according to locale.
2. user with a different locale visits the folder - folder description does not show.

The user in 2. may be an entirely different user, or the same user after switching the language setting.

[max-nextcloud]

@marcoambrosini I think this is a UX issue - and right now I don't know any way out. Two interests are conflicting here:

• we want to localize the Readme.md name
• we want to render the folder description for all users.

I see different options:

1. do not localize readme.md name
2. hide the readme.md by default by calling it .readme.md
3. try all translated names starting with the users locale, followed by readme.md and then all other possible translations.
4. Live with the fact that people with different locales will not see the folder description.

Personally I don't like the name Readme.md nor the tranlation Liesmich.md. I know it since 25 years from back when it was on floppy disks 💾 . I also know it from github and the like. But I don't think average users know it - in particular not in the translated form.

[kesselb]

Some older discussions about it:

• https://github.com/nextcloud/text/issues/727
• https://github.com/nextcloud/text/pull/834#pullrequestreview-414714255

[marcoambrosini]

@max-nextcloud From a UX perspective, I think it's best to hide the readme.md file. We can also change the name into something you deem more appropriate.

[audunmb]

One solution could be:

1. Check if there's a readme.md in current language (and display if yes)
2. If not, check if there's a readme.md in a default language set by admin.
3. If not, check if there's another readme.md file and display that.

A readme.md in another language would be better than none most of the time. Multilingual users would usually grasp the contents of the readme regardless of language.

For some places there should be some more steps in part 2. For instance in Norway where we have two written variations of Norwegian (Nynorsk/Bokmål) which most can read interchangeably, but which register as different languages in a localisation setup. So 2 would be check both NO_nb (bokmål) and NO_nn (nynorsk) before defaulting to English.

[juliusknorr]

@max-nextcloud From a UX perspective, I think it's best to hide the readme.md file. We can also change the name into something you deem more appropriate.

We had some discussion about using a hidden file in the past, but then it is not really discoverable on the desktop. If we consider that acceptable (I don't have a strong opinion there) then we could just go for .Readme.md and have the file hidden by default.

[max-nextcloud]

Thanks for the reminder about the desktop Julius.

I think we should do the following:

Creating folder description:

• Call the file Readme.md no matter what locale the user uses.

Checking for readme file:

• check for localized version of Readme.md
• check for Readme.md
• check for .Readme.md

This preserves the current behavior for existing files, avoids the problem with switching languages and enables hiding the readme file for people who are confused by it.

[RoepLuke]

Hey there, a small addition could be to also check for the .<localized-Readme>.md File for cases in which a Team wants localized descriptions whose files are hidden. If that's already your plan, then please ignore the following.

I'd assume a multilingual team (or a charity sharing a folder to the public) is more likely to want to hide multiple of these files in each folder as the casual user.

so maybe

• check for localized version of Readme.md or .Readme.md
• check for Readme.md or .Readme.md

Thanks

[obrb]

• we want to localize the Readme.md name

Sorry, but I don't think that's a good reason. Why does everything have to be localised at all costs? I mean, anyone who has spent more than 5 minutes on the internet knows what a Readme is, even if they are not native English speakers.

If the goal is to be able to provide multiple files in different languages then of course localisation makes sense, but then the files would have to be hidden, otherwise you end up with folders containing more Readme.md, Anleitung.md etc files than actual files you want to work with 😉

Also, in order to use multiple languages in a meaningful way, there would need to be a way to provide a default or fallback file that would be used if there is no matching localised file, and all this would probably lead to requests for configuration options, and eventually a user interface to manage it.

So it would definitely not be the nice and simple self-explanatory "just works" feature anymore. Actually, imho, because of localisation, it's already not quite that anymore.

[slu-010101]

Same here with DE, the file was added as "Anleitung.md" which works only with DE Users. As soon the language is set to US I can't see the folder description.

Workaround: New text file "Readme.md", this works always as far I can see.

Nextcloud 31.0.4