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Fix the Drawer Menu, Switch to Another Language and Wikis pages

Last modified by Eleni Cojocariu on 2026/08/11 19:33

Review of Drawer Menu, Switch to Another Language and Wikis against the XWiki sources (drawer.vm, menus_language.vm, the six drawer UI extensions and XWiki.getLocalePreference) and a running XWiki 18.6.0, following the Documentation Guide.

Wrong information corrected:

  • The FAQ of "Switch to Another Language" gave the wrong cause for seeing a single language. It blamed the administrator for not configuring more supported languages; in fact menus_language.vm builds the list from the translations of the Page you are on. Verified on 18.6.0 with two languages configured: a Page with no translation still offers a single "Default Language" entry, so the old answer sent readers to their administrator over a setting that was already correct.
  • "Switch to Another Language" claimed to switch your wiki. It switches the language you read the wiki in — getLocalePreference stores the choice in a cookie for that browser. Switching the whole wiki is a separate administrator task, now linked from Related links.
  • "Drawer Menu" was missing "Administer Wiki", contributed to the Drawer by the Administration application (AdminUIX, order 20000) for users with administration rights.
  • "Drawer Menu" presented the Drawer as a flat list and put "Log-out" last. The Drawer has three parts: the account header, a part headed by the current Wiki's name, and a "Global" part. The table now follows that structure, and a FAQ entry explains that the Drawer is assembled from the installed extensions and the reader's rights, which is why two readers do not see the same entries.

Links leaving the new tree although an equivalent page exists in it:

  • "Drawer Menu" sent "Switch to another language" to the legacy Documentation.UserGuide.Features.I18N page while its own sibling documents it, and "multilingual wikis" to the same legacy page instead of "Enable (or disable) the Multilingual Setting".
  • "Wikis" pointed Related links at the legacy "Wiki vs Nested Pages" although Wikis vs Nested Pages exists in the new tree — and links back to "Wikis".
  • "Switch to Another Language" pointed Related links at legacy Documentation.AdminGuide.Configuration instead of "Set the Default Language for the Entire Wiki".

Those three legacy links also carried an anchor parameter that xwiki.org silently drops on same-wiki links, so the reader landed at the top of a long legacy page with no indication of what to look for. The remaining extensions: links keep their anchors, which do survive, because the Wiki Index and wiki creation have no page in the new tree yet.

Documentation Guide fixes:

  • A result step closes "Switch to Another Language", which stopped on an action ("Navigate to Pages to see them…"). It now shows the wiki displayed in French.
  • The two Drawer screenshots were in a Gallery, which is for variations of one thing; these are sequential (where to click, then what opens), so they are two {{image}} macros. They were also inserted with the … link syntax, which carries no size, mandatory in the documentation space. The first one's alt described "the expanded Drawer menu" while the image shows the collapsed top bar.
  • All four screenshots are re-captured on XWiki 18.6.0 at exactly the pixel width of the size they are shown at (650 for large, 350 for medium, 960 for extra); the previous ones were 513, 312 and 335 pixels wide, so they were rescaled by the browser. They are attached to this change request.
  • Empty FAQ and Related links fields filled on "Drawer Menu"; the "Switch to Another Language" FAQ stays at five entries by folding "What happens after I select a language?" into the new result step, and gains that language=default resets to the wiki default.
  • A self-anchor link in the "Wikis" intro, whose target was generated from its own FAQ question wording, is dropped — rewording the FAQ would have broken it silently.

Left alone, on purpose:

  • The Technical IDs, although unprefixed. On xwiki.org the unprefixed org.xwiki.platform:… form is what resolves: it redirects to the extension page, while the xwiki:-prefixed form does not.
  • "Wikis" still has no illustration. What would help is the Wiki Index on a farm of several wikis, which needs a farm to capture honestly. A PlantUML diagram was considered and rejected: no page on xwiki.org renders that macro and Macros.PlantUML does not exist, so it would have shown an error box.

All changes

Edition of Drawer Menu

Summary

Details

Page properties
Author
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
1 -XWiki.superadmin
1 +XWiki.elenicojocariu
Content
... ... @@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
1 -When expanding the Drawer menu, you can perform several global actions:
1 +The Drawer menu gathers the actions that apply to the whole wiki rather than to the Page you are reading. Open it with the button at the right end of the top bar.
2 2  
3 -{{gallery}}
4 -[[image:drawer-menu.png||alt="The expanded Drawer menu with the global actions"]]
5 -[[image:drawer-menu-extended.png||alt="The expanded Drawer menu showing the extended list of global actions"]]
6 -{{/gallery}}
3 +{{image reference="drawer-menu.png" size="large" alt="The Drawer menu button highlighted at the right end of the top bar" caption="XWiki 18.6.0"/}}
7 7  
8 -|=Action
9 -|[[View your user profile>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.user.view-user-profile.view-user-profile-drawer-menu.WebHome]]
10 -|[[View the "Page Index">>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.page.view-all-pages.WebHome]]
11 -|[[View the user index>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.user.view-wiki-users.WebHome]]
12 -|[[View the application index>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.applications.view-applications.WebHome]]
13 -|[[Switch to another language>>xwiki:Documentation.UserGuide.Features.I18N||anchor="HSwitchtoanotherlanguage"]] (on [[multilingual wikis>>Documentation.UserGuide.Features.I18N||anchor="HPreferences"]])
14 -|View “What’s New”
15 -|Access the [[wiki index>>extensions:Extension.Wiki Application]]
16 -|Logout
5 +The Drawer is assembled from the extensions installed on your wiki, and it is split in three parts: your account at the top, then a part headed by the current Wiki's name, then a "Global" part for the actions that span the whole [[Wiki farm>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.wikis.WebHome]].
6 +
7 +|=Part|=Action|=Description
8 +|Your account|[[Your user profile>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.user.view-user-profile.view-user-profile-drawer-menu.WebHome]]|Opens the profile of the user you are logged in as.
9 +|Your account|"Log-out"|Ends your session.
10 +|Current Wiki|"Administer Wiki"|Opens the [[wiki administration>>xwiki:documentation.xs.admin.base.content-organization.administer-wiki.WebHome]]. Shown only to users with administration rights.
11 +|Current Wiki|[["Page Index">>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.page.view-all-pages.WebHome]]|Lists every Page of the current Wiki.
12 +|Current Wiki|[["User Index">>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.user.view-wiki-users.WebHome]]|Lists the users of the current Wiki.
13 +|Current Wiki|[["Application Index">>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.applications.view-applications.WebHome]]|Lists the applications installed on the current Wiki.
14 +|Global|[["Languages">>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.switch-language.WebHome]]|Switches the language you read the wiki in. Shown only on [[multilingual wikis>>xwiki:documentation.xs.admin.base.content-organization.administer-wiki.enable-multilingual-setting.WebHome]].
15 +|Global|"What's New"|Opens the XWiki news feed.
16 +|Global|[["Wiki Index">>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.wikis.WebHome]]|Lists the Wikis you are part of.
17 +
18 +{{image reference="drawer-menu-extended.png" size="medium" alt="The expanded Drawer menu, showing the account part, the current Wiki part and the Global part" caption="XWiki 18.6.0"/}}
drawer-menu-extended.png
Size
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
1 -15.6 KB
1 +24.6 KB
Content
drawer-menu.png
Size
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1 -10.3 KB
1 +3.8 KB
Content
DocApp.Code.DocumentationClass[0]
FAQ
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,7 @@
1 +== Why do I not see all these actions? ==
2 +
3 +The Drawer only shows what your wiki has installed and what your rights allow: "Administer Wiki" needs administration rights, and "Languages" appears only on a multilingual wiki.
4 +
5 +== Why is the middle part named after my wiki? ==
6 +
7 +It carries the current Wiki's name, so that on a farm you can tell which Wiki the actions listed under it apply to.
Related
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,2 @@
1 +* [[Switch to Another Language>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.switch-language.WebHome]].
2 +* [[Wikis>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.wikis.WebHome]].

Edition of Switch to Another Language

Summary

Details

Page properties
Title
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,1 @@
1 +Switch to Another Language
Parent
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,1 @@
1 +documentation.xs.user.base.WebHome
Author
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
1 -XWiki.XWikiGuest
1 +XWiki.elenicojocariu
Default language
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,1 @@
1 +en
Content
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,10 @@
1 +To read the wiki in another language:
2 +
3 +1. [[Open the Drawer menu>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.drawer-menu.WebHome]].
4 +1. Click the "Languages" selector.(((
5 +{{image reference="languages-selector.png" size="medium" alt="The Languages selector highlighted in the expanded Drawer menu" caption="XWiki 18.6.0"/}}
6 +)))
7 +1. Click the language you want to use.
8 +1. Check the result: the interface and every Page translated into that language are now displayed in it.(((
9 +{{image reference="wiki-in-french.png" size="extra" alt="The wiki Home Page and its interface displayed in French" caption="XWiki 18.6.0"/}}
10 +)))
languages-selector.png
Author
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,1 @@
1 +XWiki.elenicojocariu
Size
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1 +27.2 KB
Content
wiki-in-french.png
Author
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,1 @@
1 +XWiki.elenicojocariu
Size
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,1 @@
1 +47.7 KB
Content
DocApp.Code.DocumentationClass[0]
FAQ
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,19 @@
1 +== Why am I not seeing the "Languages" selector in the drawer menu? ==
2 +
3 +It is probably because your administrator [[hasn't set the wiki to be multilingual>>xwiki:documentation.xs.admin.base.content-organization.administer-wiki.enable-multilingual-setting.WebHome]].
4 +
5 +== Why does the selector offer only one language? ==
6 +
7 +Because it offers only the languages the Page you are on is translated into, so a Page with no translation shows a single "Default Language" entry.
8 +
9 +== Does my choice affect the other users? ==
10 +
11 +No, it applies to your browser only, which keeps it until you choose another language.
12 +
13 +== Which language is used before I choose one? ==
14 +
15 +The one your browser asks for, when the wiki supports it, and otherwise the default language set by your administrator.
16 +
17 +== Can I force a language through the URL? ==
18 +
19 +Yes, add {{code language="none"}}language=<2-letter language code>{{/code}} to the URL; {{code language="none"}}language=default{{/code}} restores the wiki's default language.
Related
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,3 @@
1 +* [[Set the Language for a Page>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.page.view-page.set-language.WebHome]].
2 +* [[Set the Default Language for the Entire Wiki>>xwiki:documentation.xs.admin.base.content-organization.administer-wiki.set-default-language-entire-wiki.WebHome]].
3 +* [[Page Translations>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.page.view-page.translate-page.translations.WebHome]].
Target
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,1 @@
1 +user
Type
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,1 @@
1 +howto
DocApp.Code.DocumentationExtensionClass[0]
Technical Identifier
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,1 @@
1 +org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-flamingo-skin-resources

Edition of Wikis

Summary

Details

Page properties
Content
... ... @@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
1 -In XWiki, content can be organized not only in [[nested Pages>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.page.nested-pages.WebHome]], but also in separate wikis. The terms "wiki" and "subwiki" are used interchangeably. There is a main Wiki provided by default when installing XWiki, but [[additional subwikis can be created>>||anchor="HCanuserscreatesubwikis3F"]] to organize content independently. Multiple wikis together form a Wiki farm. Wikis have:
1 +In XWiki, content can be organized not only in [[nested Pages>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.page.nested-pages.WebHome]], but also in separate wikis. The terms "wiki" and "subwiki" are used interchangeably. Installing XWiki gives you a main Wiki, and further subwikis can be added next to it; together they form a Wiki farm.
2 2  
3 -* their own "Home Page",
4 -* separate [[user and groups permissions>>xwiki:Documentation.AdminGuide.Access Rights.Sub-Wiki access rights.WebHome]],
3 +Each Wiki has:
4 +
5 +* its own "Home Page",
6 +* separate users, groups and [[rights>>xwiki:documentation.xs.admin.rights.WebHome]],
5 5  * separate navigation and configuration.
6 6  
7 -They are ideal when isolation is needed between content areas or different sets of contributors.
9 +They are ideal when isolation is needed between content areas or different sets of contributors.
8 8  
9 -You can [[browse the Wikis with the "Wiki Index">>extensions:Extension.Wiki Application||anchor="HMenusandWikiIndex"]] to see which Wikis you are part of.
11 +You can [[browse the Wikis with the "Wiki Index">>extensions:Extension.Wiki Application||anchor="HMenusandWikiIndex"]], which you open from the [[Drawer menu>>xwiki:documentation.xs.user.base.drawer-menu.WebHome]], to see which Wikis you are part of.
DocApp.Code.DocumentationClass[0]
FAQ
... ... @@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
1 1  == Can users create subwikis? ==
2 2  
3 - No, only administrators can [[create new Wikis>>extensions:Extension.Wiki Application||anchor="HCreateanewwiki"]].
3 +No, only administrators can [[create new Wikis>>extensions:Extension.Wiki Application||anchor="HCreateanewwiki"]].
Related
... ... @@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
1 -* [[Wiki vs Nested Pages>>xwiki:Documentation.UserGuide.Features.ContentOrganization.WikiVsNestedPages.WebHome]].
1 +* [[Wikis vs Nested Pages>>xwiki:documentation.xs.admin.base.content-organization.wikis-nested-pages.WebHome]].
2 2  * [[Content Organization>>xwiki:documentation.xs.admin.base.content-organization.WebHome]].
Aug 11, 2026, 3:24:46 PM

Approved by Eleni Cojocariu

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