Last modified: 2014-08-26 03:35:23 UTC
Bold and Italic buttons are definitely English centric now. It's possible to customize then in MediaWiki:Monobook.js (see http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-i18n/2007-October/000206.html), but this solution must be applied in every installation of MediaWiki. I think will be good idea to add array for buttons image names in Language.php and ability to change it in every language class. In this case localization will work out of the box on every project on particular language without additional changes. Also it'll work for multi-language wikis such as Commons, Meta, WikiSpecies or OmegaWiki.
Can you provide examples (references to screen shots, for instance) of widely-used desktop software which localizes system-standard bold and italic toolbar icons?
If I'm not mistaken, Microsoft does so in Office since version 95 (at least for Russian localization). See http://office.microsoft.com/ru-ru/word/HA100742241049.aspx for screenshot.
You can make the buttons language neutral (no letters/text at all) or do like the request mentions. @brion: the lack of it in other software or negligence in doing it doesn't mean MediaWiki cannot start that habit and even spread it. we are already localizing everything (it is like saying that other software packages don't include localizations for language X so MediaWiki shouldn't include it). May be that can affect performance that you will have to load different images for each language but I'm not sure if it is an issue.. user:alnokta
See r37040. It is now possible to overwrite images per language basis (fallbacks are honoured), if someone commits a suitable licensed image and adds item to $imageFiles array in MessagesXyz.php.