Language selector

Askr 0.10.0 adds an optional site language selector through askr.languages. Askr places the current-tab links in a Header control beside the theme and other tools. The control stays in the Header on narrow screens, independently of Areas. With no configuration, Askr adds no language control and all other defaults remain unchanged.

Configure languages

Set current to the code for this language project’s pages. Each entry provides a unique code, display label and exact destination href:

askr:
  languages:
    current: zh-TW
    items:
      - code: zh-TW
        label: 繁體中文
        href: https://docs.example.org/
      - code: en
        label: English
        href: https://docs.example.org/en/

Provide at least two entries. Codes and labels must be nonempty scalar values, and codes must be unique. Each href must be an absolute HTTPS URL or a domain-root path such as /en/; protocol-relative paths such as //other.org and destinations containing whitespace are rejected during rendering. Set current explicitly in each language project’s configuration; Askr does not infer it from the current URL.

Bilingual Gallery example

The English site remains at /askr/, and its Traditional Chinese edition is a separate Quarto project at /askr/zh-TW/. Each site has its own navigation and search. The root project sets current: en; the Chinese project sets current: zh-TW. Selecting a language opens its configured homepage, not an automatically paired page in the other language.

Run quarto render from the repository root to build both sites. The build stages the shared Askr extension, images and bibliography for the child project; the three executable examples live once in root _includes/ and are included by both sites. For a local preview, serve the output under the /askr/ path or configure local selector destinations; the published domain-root links do not match a prefix-less preview URL.

Askr puts the configured href on a normal link, so the browser opens it in the current tab. It uses each code as both lang and hreflang, and marks the current item visually and with aria-current. The button shows the accessible name and tooltip Language: <current label>; the current language is also visible in the menu.

Askr does not guess URLs, pair translated pages, remember language choices, change search, or translate content. If your native navbar already contains language links, remove those duplicates after configuring the Askr selector; Askr leaves authored navbar tools in place.

The selector uses Quarto’s bundled Bootstrap dropdown behavior for keyboard navigation, Escape and outside-click dismissal. Without JavaScript, the configuration stays inert and no button is shown.