Talk:Tech/Server switch

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timef:

Now that {{#timef:…}} is available, it could simplify how we display dates in the message, with less parameters to take into account. {{#timefl:…}} could be used to show local time.

If anyone wants to suggest an update to the message using this new parser function, please be my guest. :)

Trizek_(WMF) (talk) 12:29, 17 October 2024 (UTC)

I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. {{#timef:...}} was designed to work in isolation, that is, outside of sentences (in tables, lists etc.). For example, the German translation used in this message is am fünfundzwanzigsten September, but am {{#timef:2024-09-25|date|de}} would probably produce am fünfundzwanzigster September (if the output wasn’t numeric, hiding this difference). The Hungarian translation is szeptember 25-én, but {{#timef:...}} would put a dot after the day, which is needed in isolation but incorrect when the date is agglutinated. While these two languages wouldn’t be affected (in German, the difference is hidden due to the numeric output, and Hungarian cannot use traditional {{#time:...}} either due to its complicated agglutination rules), other languages may have similar problems. —Tacsipacsi (talk) 23:21, 17 October 2024 (UTC)

Thank you for the initial exploration.

Let's test how it goes with {{#timef:2024-09-25|pretty|lang}} (I use languages we both speak):

• de: 25 September
• hu: szeptember 25
• fr: 25 septembre
• es: 25 septiembre

Current system:

All traffic will switch on '''{{#time:j xg|2024-09-25|{{TRANSLATIONLANGUAGE}}}}'''.

I get:

• All traffic will switch on 25 September.
• de: Der gesamte Datenverkehr wird am 25 September.
• hu: Az átállás 25 szeptember történik meg.
  • For the latter, it was overridden to add name the day (as it is possible); the result is:

  Az átállás szeptember 25-én, szerdán történik meg.

• fr: Le trafic sera basculé le 25 septembre.
• es: Todo el tráfico cambiará al nuevo centro de datos el 25 septiembre.

Using All traffic will switch on '''{{#timef:2024-09-25|pretty|{{TRANSLATIONLANGUAGE}}}}'''., I get:

• All traffic will switch on 25 September.
• de: Der gesamte Datenverkehr wird am 25 September.
• hu: Az átállás szeptember 25 történik meg. (I reused the former sentence.)
• fr: Le trafic sera basculé le 25 septembre.
• es: Todo el tráfico cambiará al nuevo centro de datos el 25 septiembre.

It seems to be close. I note that for Hungarian it is not the same as the translation you provided, but it seems to be better with timef than it is with time.

Since the previous server switch, I consider replacing the current 3-parameters system ({{#time:$defaultformat|$date|$format_language_code}}) with one parameter ($1) that would encapsulate the time magicword and the parameters. This is not directly related to this conversation. The reason is that I'm concerned on not being able to get or update the translation in the right way for several languages. Only two options would be made available: use the parameter ($1) or replace the full sentence like there (updating the message will be up to the translators). Trizek_(WMF) (talk) 12:34, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Please, do not use "pretty" at all, because it's broken in too many languages. IKhitron (talk) 12:24, 20 October 2024 (UTC)

@IKhitron, I guess this is related to T223772#10225457 and subsequent comments? Trizek_(WMF) (talk) 12:50, 21 October 2024 (UTC)

Yes, and also starting from phab:T223772#10037953 and phab:T223772#10210207. IKhitron (talk) 16:41, 21 October 2024 (UTC)

Thanks. Let's follow up on the task. Trizek_(WMF) (talk) 18:05, 21 October 2024 (UTC)

Topic title

It’s probably too late for the message about to be delivered in two days, but just today someone edited the topic title of the message about the previous server switch, calling the original wording scary. Translating back to English, they changed Your wiki will be in read-only soon to roughly Server switch – Your wiki will be read-only for a short time soon. And I agree (even if I wouldn’t have changed a months-old topic): “will be read-only” can easily be understood as permanent, i.e. wiki closure, for someone only scanning through the topic titles. Starting with the fall 2025 server switch, can we include some wording (“for a short time”, “temporarily” etc.) to make it clearer? —Tacsipacsi (talk) 20:59, 11 March 2025 (UTC)

It is an excellent idea. I documented it so that we will make the change for the next equinox. Trizek_(WMF) (talk) 09:46, 13 March 2025 (UTC)

Change done! Thank you again. Trizek_(WMF) (talk) 15:53, 19 March 2025 (UTC)