ArgumentumGames · jsboige · Jul 4, 2026 · Jul 4, 2026
diff --git a/docs/dnn-localization/683-content-language-enablement-design.md b/docs/dnn-localization/683-content-language-enablement-design.md
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+# 2026-07-04 — DNN content-language enablement design (7 cultures + routing + switcher) — #683
+
+**Scope**: design sketch (no prod execution) for step 4 of the #669 DNN i18n portage plan — enable
+7 content languages on the DNN portal, wire URL routing so culture is reflected, and populate the
+language switcher skin object so users can switch. Triggered by ai-01 dispatch `sde6s0` (tertiary).
+
+**Issue**: #683 (jsboige-owned, parallel/non-blocked — does not gate on #681 export). Links to epic
+#458 (TRACK 2 — Site DNN).
+
+**Platform**: DNN 10.3.2 + 2sxc 21.07, .NET Framework 4.8. Portal: `dnn.argumentum.myia.io` (live,
+full-IIS, ACME bypass active for renew). FR is canonical.
+
+> **⚠ DESIGN ONLY.** No prod write, no DNN admin UI changes, no web.config mutation. This doc
+> sketches the approach + decision points for jsboige to execute (or dispatch) when ready.
+
+---
+
+## TL;DR
+
+Three config layers must be enabled for the site to serve 8 cultures:
+
+1. **DNN content languages** — Admin > Site > Languages: enable 7 cultures (en/ru/pt/es/ar/fa/zh);
+   FR already canonical. One-time, jsboige admin UI.
+2. **URL routing** — decide path-based (`/en-US/<page>`) vs query-string (`?language=en-US`). Today
+   both are broken (path = 404, query = ignored, `<html lang>` stays `fr-FR`).
+3. **Language switcher** — populate the empty `<div class="language">` skin object (shell shipped by
+   #490, currently unpopulated). Wire it to the routing mode chosen.
+
+2sxc side: `CmsContext.Culture.CurrentCode` already reflects the DNN request culture — the `loc()`
+cascade (lang→en→fr) in FallacyExplorer (post-#490) and RulesExplorer (post-#674) picks it up
+automatically once DNN serves the culture. So this step is **upstream of** the view refactor — it
+makes `CmsContext.Culture` return the right value.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Current state (code=truth from #669 §3)
+
+| Aspect | Current | Source |
+|--------|---------|--------|
+| Canonical culture | `fr-FR` (portal default) | DNN portal config |
+| `<html lang>` | stays `fr-FR` regardless of request | #669 §3 (query-string ignored) |
+| Path-based routing (`/en-US/Règles`) | **404** (no localized pages provisioned) | #669 §3 |
+| Query-string (`?language=`) | **ignored** (culture not applied) | #669 §3 |
+| Language switcher skin object | `<div class="language">` shell shipped by #490, **unpopulated** | #669 §3 |
+| FallacyExplorer view | `loc()` cascade **code-ready** post-#490 (reads `CmsContext.Culture`) | #669 §2a |
+| RulesExplorer view | FR-only, no culture logic (PR #674 runtime-pending fixes) | #669 §2b |
+
+➡️ The views are (or will be, post-#674) ready to consume a culture — the gap is **DNN is not
+serving one**. This step fixes that.
+
+---
+
+## 2. DNN content-language enablement (Admin UI)
+
+**Owner**: jsboige (DNN admin). **Effort**: one-time, ~minutes.
+
+In DNN 10.3.2: **Admin > Site > Languages** (or Settings > Site Settings > Languages). For each of
+the 7 target cultures:
+
+- **Enable** the language (check Active).
+- Mark localized page behaviour (DNN creates localized page variants when enabled — see §3 routing
+  implications).
+
+Cultures to enable (DNN culture codes map to the 8 release langs):
+
+| Release lang | DNN culture code | Notes |
+|--------------|------------------|-------|
+| en | `en-US` (or `en-GB`) | secondary |
+| ru | `ru-RU` | Cyrillic |
+| pt | `pt-PT` (or `pt-BR`) | |
+| es | `es-ES` | |
+| ar | `ar-...` (e.g. `ar-SA`/`ar`) | **RTL** — `dir=rtl` |
+| fa | `fa-IR` | **RTL** — `dir=rtl` |
+| zh | `zh-CN` | CJK |
+
+`fr-FR` remains the canonical/default portal language.
+
+> **2sxc note (#687)**: the 2sxc EAV is currently dimensioned FR+EN only. Enabling the DNN cultures
+> does **not** automatically dimension 2sxc EAV for them — but **Path A (lang-suffixed fields +
+> `loc()`, PR #674/#682) does not need EAV dimensions**. The `loc()` cascade reads suffixed fields
+> regardless of EAV dimensioning. So enabling DNN cultures is sufficient for the lang-suffixed path.
+
+---
+
+## 3. URL routing — decision needed (jsboige)
+
+DNN supports three routing modes for multilingual (Settings > Site Settings > Site Behavior >
+Language Settings):
+
+### Option 3a — Path-based (`/en-US/<page>`)
+- URLs: `dnn.argumentum.myia.io/en-US/Règles`, `.../ru-RU/Règles`, …
+- **Pro**: SEO-friendly, culture visible in URL, bookmarkable.
+- **Con**: DNN creates **localized page variants** per enabled language → must manage/translate page
+  names per lang, or pages 404 (today's state). More page-admin overhead.
+- **Current**: 404 (localized pages not provisioned).
+
+### Option 3b — Query-string (`?language=en-US`)
+- URLs: `dnn.argumentum.myia.io/Règles?language=en-US`
+- **Pro**: single page tree (no localized variants), less admin.
+- **Con**: less SEO-friendly; culture in query string.
+- **Current**: ignored (culture not applied to request).
+
+### Option 3c — Domain/cookie (less common for DNN)
+- Per-language subdomains (`en.dnn.argumentum.myia.io`) or cookie-based.
+- **Con**: extra DNS/TLS per subdomain; not standard DNN. Likely overkill.
+
+**Recommendation**: **Option 3b (query-string)** for fastest go-live (single page tree, no localized
+variant admin) OR **Option 3a (path-based)** if SEO/per-lang URLs matter for an educational product.
+**Decision = jsboige.** Either way, the view layer (`loc()` via `CmsContext.Culture`) is agnostic —
+it reads whatever culture DNN assigns to the request.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Language switcher — populate the skin object
+
+The #490 merge shipped a shell `<div class="language">` in the skin (currently empty). Populate it
+with a DNN **language selector skin object**:
+
+- DNN ships a built-in `LanguageSelector` / `LanguageEnabler` skin object (`<dnn:LANGUAGE runat=
+  "server" />` or the 2sxc-equivalent).
+- Wire it to render a flag/name dropdown for the 8 cultures, emitting the routing form chosen in §3
+  (path or query-string).
+- On switch: set the request culture → `CmsContext.Culture.CurrentCode` updates → `loc()` cascade
+  re-resolves → page re-renders in the new lang.
+
+Skin object location: the active skin's `.ascx` (DNN skin). jsboige to locate the active skin and
+add the object where the `<div class="language">` placeholder sits.
+
+---
+
+## 5. `<html lang>` / `dir` reflection
+
+Once DNN serves the request culture, ensure:
+
+- `<html lang="<culture-code>">` reflects the culture (DNN sets this from the request language when
+  routing is wired — today it's stuck `fr-FR` because query-string is ignored).
+- **RTL**: for `ar` and `fa`, `<html dir="rtl">` (or `dir="rtl"` on the content container). DNN
+  flips `dir` automatically when the culture is marked RTL in its language config; verify in the
+  Admin > Languages RTL flag per culture.
+- **CJK/Cyrillic**: no `dir` change needed; verify fonts render (tofu check in #685 visual QA).
+
+> This is the #685 (visual validation) entry condition: without `<html lang>`/`dir` correct,
+> per-language visual QA cannot pass. So #683 is on the critical path of the coupled release
+> (#683 → #684 → #685 → #134 coupled sign-off).
+
+---
+
+## 6. Wiring with the 2sxc view layer (no extra work here)
+
+The `loc()` cascade (FallacyExplorer post-#490, RulesExplorer post-#674):
+
+```csharp
+var lang = (CmsContext.Culture.CurrentCode ?? "fr-fr").Split('-')[0].ToLowerInvariant();
+string loc(dynamic f, string field) {
+    // try lang-suffixed field, cascade lang → en → fr
+}
+```
+
+Once #683 makes `CmsContext.Culture.CurrentCode` return the right culture, **the views pick it up
+with no further change**. So #683 is purely the DNN-config layer; the 2sxc code layer is separate
+(#674) and already designed to consume it.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Decision points for jsboige
+
+1. **Routing mode**: path-based (3a) vs query-string (3b)? (Recommendation: 3b for speed, 3a for
+   SEO.)
+2. **Localized page variants**: if 3a, are page names translated per lang, or left FR with localized
+   content? (Affects page-admin volume.)
+3. **Culture codes**: confirm exact DNN codes (`en-US` vs `en-GB`, `pt-PT` vs `pt-BR`, `zh-CN`).
+4. **Switcher UX**: flag icons, native names, or codes? (Brand decision.)
+5. **Timing**: parallel to #681 export (non-blocked) — can be staged on sandbox first
+   (`docs/dnn-localization/131-step2-smoke-test-checklist.md` pattern) before prod.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Sequencing
+
+```
+#683 (this design → jsboige DNN config) ──┐
+#681 (export) ──► #682 (field-model) ──► #674 (view refactor runtime) ──┼──► #684 (translate) ──► #685 (visual QA) ──► #134
+                                          ──────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+#683 is **parallel/non-blocked** (does not need the export). It can be staged on the sandbox
+(IIS Express :8090, per the Phase B work) before prod go-live.
+
+---
+
+## Gate boundaries (HARD — design only)
+
+- ❌ No prod write, no DNN admin change, no web.config mutation, no skin edit.
+- ❌ No #674/#596 merge (runtime-pending / garde-fou).
+- ✅ Design sketch only; all routing/state claims cited from #669 (merged) + #687 (merged).
+- ✅ Decision points surfaced for jsboige — not pre-decided unilaterally.
+
+Relates: dispatch `sde6s0` (tertiary), #683 (this issue), #458 (TRACK 2 epic), #669 (mechanism,
+step 4), #490 (FallacyExplorer loc shell + switcher shell), #674 (RulesExplorer view refactor),
+#681 (export), #682 (field-model Path A), #685 (visual QA — downstream), #134 (coupled release).