Localizability of styles

CSL Development
1

As some of you might have noticed, I’ve recently gone through most of the
independent styles in the style repository, updating titles, ids,
documentation links, and adding ISSNs and default-locales.

One thing I think we should discuss is how exactly we want to deal with
default-locale and style localization. I’m of the firm opinion that any
journal-specific CSL style should carry the default-locale attribute set to
the journal’s locale. On the other hand, I definitely see value in having a
selection of styles without a default-locale attribute that (automatically)
localize. I think we can improve the current user experience with three
changes:

  1. we should decide which styles we want to keep without a default-locale
    (I guess this will be mostly the most popular style guides, like APA,
    Vancouver, CMoS, some Harvard variant, etc.)
  2. for these styles, make sure localization is as complete as possible
    (e.g. we probably should use localized date formats, which currently almost
    no style uses)
  3. make it clear to users which styles localize, and which don’t

Rintze

2

Just one quick thing for the moment …

3

Agreed (e.g. Vancouver is used by many US journals, so it probably should
have an “en-US” default-locale). Most of these popular styles currently
lack a default-locale though. Other options:

  • lobby with CSL implementations for an easy override of default-locale
  • create two versions of styles like Vancouver, an US English one and a
    localizing international one.
  • forgo the idea of automatically localizing styles altogether

Rintze

4

I would say it makes sense to make an English option for APA and
Vancouver, which are used in many dependent styles. There are only 5
dependent journal styles for Chicago.

We know from questions/complaints about specific terms on the forum
that those styles are actually used quite a bit by international users
in their localized versions, so I’d very much keep the regular version
without a default locale.

Agree with Rintze that it would be good if users could tell (w/o
opening the style code) which styles localize and which don’t.
Sebastian