Language groups: one combined pair plus separate languages (EN+PT and RU)
Reported by Vladimir via e-mail (EFKey 2.1.1, build 400). He types in English, Portuguese and Russian:
"Ideally I would like to have a combined mode for EN-PT (as they both are latin) and a separate RU with a quick switch between these two modes. Also, now the combined mode for EN-RU does not make any sense because user can't see both latin and cyrillic keys anyway."
Where it stands today
- Multilingual typing is capped at 2 languages (memory). With three languages you have to keep Multilingual off, and the switcher cycles EN → PT → RU, each alone. A combined EN+PT is only possible by removing RU from the list.
- Nothing stops you from combining two languages with different scripts (EN+RU). The layout only ever shows one script, so the second language's corrections are useless there, and the switcher gets an extra "both" step that does nothing useful.
Proposal
- Language groups. One combined group of up to 2 languages with the same script (EN+PT) plus any number of separate languages (RU). The switcher (spacebar swipe, language key, picker) cycles EN+PT → RU → EN+PT. Only the active group's engines are loaded, so the memory cap stays.
- Same script only for the combined group. When enabling Multilingual with two different scripts, warn or don't allow it. Cheaper first step even without groups.
Touches
- language cap (more than 2 in the list, max 2 loaded at once),
- solo mode and the switch cycle,
- spacebar label and the language picker,
- the language reported to iOS (multilingual for a combined group, the single language when a separate one is active),
- Settings › Languages UI (group editor).
Medium-sized change.
Discussion
status → Planned
status → Done
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