[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #60999: Issues with new i18n logic when handling translation files (MO/PHP)

[WordPress Trac]

#60999: Issues with new i18n logic when handling translation files (MO/PHP)
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 Reporter:  fengyintseng       |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect (bug)       |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal             |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  I18N               |     Version:  6.5
 Severity:  normal             |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  reporter-feedback  |     Focuses:
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Comment (by swissspidy):

 > But it's the formal method suggested by almost all the plugin developers
 that if we would like to put our customized translations in use, it's
 better to put it under /wp-content/languages/plugins/ instead of /wp-
 content/plugins/plugin-name/languages/ as it won't be changed during an
 update.
 > Take Tutor LMS as example, please refer to its instruction about how to
 translate the plugin offline:
 https://docs.themeum.com/tutor-lms/tutorials/how-to-translate-tutor-lms
 /#translating-tutor-lms-offline

 This is really bad advice.

 You should not manually edit plugin files in `wp-content/plugins/tutor/*`,
 as the files will be overridden whenever you update a plugin.

 Similarly, you should not manually edit translation files in `wp-
 content/languages`, as the files will be overridden whenever WordPress
 updates translations.

 This is not new behavior in 6.5. It has always been this way.

 > And there is indeed requirement for user to use their own customized
 translations, take membership or eLearning sites for example, though
 people use similar plugins to build up their sites, the critical
 difference between their sites would be the designs and wordings they used
 in their sites.

 If you need customized translations, use a custom location like you did
 with your `load_translation_file` filter example. Alternatively, there are
 also plugins such as Loco Translate that allow this.

 > I did some experiments to double check the behavior.
 I used PHP with old translations & MO with new translations, both files
 under /wp-content/languages/plugins/, and the translations displayed on
 Front/Back ends are from the PHP file.
 > I used code snippets plugin WPCodeBox to insert the codes.

 I think your code is running to late. If the Tutor plugin loads
 translations too early, then it might do so before your code is even
 loaded.

 Try putting it in an mu-plugin.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/60999#comment:3>
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