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Phase 34: i18n Foundation - Discussion Log
Audit trail only. Do not use as input to planning, research, or execution agents. Decisions are captured in CONTEXT.md — this log preserves the alternatives considered.
Date: 2026-04-13 Phase: 34-i18n Foundation Areas discussed: Translation scope & boundaries, Library & architecture, Language selection UX, First additional language
Translation Scope & Boundaries
| Option | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| UI chrome only | Buttons, labels, headings, empty states, errors, navigation | |
| UI chrome + system content | UI chrome plus default categories, onboarding text, MCP descriptions | ✓ |
| Everything including catalog | UI + system + catalog item names/descriptions per locale |
User's choice: UI chrome + system content Notes: Catalog data translation deferred — too much content to maintain translations for.
Library & Architecture
Library choice
| Option | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| react-i18next | Most popular, hook-based, JSON files, namespaces, lazy loading | |
| Lingui | Compile-time extraction, smaller runtime, macro-based | |
| You decide | Claude picks based on stack fit | ✓ |
User's choice: Claude's discretion
Translation storage
| Option | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| JSON files in repo | en.json, de.json checked into git. Simple, reviewable in PRs | ✓ |
| External translation service | Crowdin/Lokalise with web UI for translators | |
| You decide | Claude picks |
User's choice: JSON in repo. User asked whether this is easy to switch later — confirmed it is. Translation keys are the same regardless of storage; switching to external service is a CI/sync change, not a code rewrite.
Language Selection UX
| Option | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| Separate setting | Language and currency/market are independent | |
| Tied to market | EUR/DE = German, GBP/UK = English | |
| Auto-detect with override | Browser locale auto-detect, independent from market, overridable | ✓ |
User's choice: Auto-detect with override, independent from market/currency.
First Additional Language
Language choice
| Option | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| German (de) | Primary target market, user speaks it natively | ✓ |
| French (fr) | Tests different grammar family | |
| Both German + French | Stress-tests the system |
User's choice: German. User noted they can't validate French ("aint speaking french, can only send ai agents to test").
Translation production
| Option | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| Manual translation | User writes German strings | |
| AI-generated, user reviews | Claude generates, user does formal review pass | |
| AI-generated, fix organically | Claude generates, user catches issues during normal app usage | ✓ |
User's choice: AI-generated, no dedicated review — fix issues as they're noticed.
Claude's Discretion
- Library choice (react-i18next vs. Lingui)
- String key naming convention
- Dynamic content interpolation patterns
- Extraction strategy (bulk vs. incremental)
Deferred Ideas
None — discussion stayed within phase scope.