How to configure language preferences

Correct language preferences settings

Language preferences settings are sent to HTTP (WWW) server, which chooses proper language version of the document, according to them (if they are available and the server is correctly configured).

In language preferences settings you list language versions you accept, in reverse priority order (higher priorities first) - eg. you may set up, that if Polish version with ISO 8859-2 characters is available, you should get it, if not - version without Polish characters, and if it's also absent - english version. If none of them is available, the server will send one of the available ones.

Language versions are coded using (usually two letter) codes. They are standarized by ISO.

As to my documents, they are avalable in the following versions:

Polish (ISO 8859-2 characters) - code pl

Polish (no polish letters) - code pn (WARNING! This is a nonstandard code

English - code en
Sample language preferences settings I suggest are:

For user who wants to get Polish versions of the documents and has ISO 8859-2 fonts or charset translation: pl pn en

For user who wants to get Polish versions of the documents and does not have ISO 8859-2: pn pl en

For user who wants to get English versions of the documents: en pn pl, or even en

If you don't set up any preferences (browser may have its own defaults set - eg. Lynx has en set by default), or none of selected versions is available, server preferences are taken into account - for my documents it is pl pn en.

If you're interested in technical aspects of setting up the server, check this.

Setting up the language preferences in various browsers

Lynx Use option "Accept language" found in the configuration menu available after pressing o. Type there a list of accepted languages' codes, separated by spaces, in the decreasing priorities order.

Netscape for MS Windows Use "Language" page of the "General preferences" window. Codes of accepted languages should be typed in the edit box on the right side and accepted by pressing the down arrow button, or chosen from the list on the left side and accepted by pressing the right arrow button. The left arrow button removes selected language from the list of accepted languages (on the right side).

Netscape for XWindows Unfortunately, currently there's no way to set language preferences. I hope this will change soon.

MS Internet Explorer (This description is for version 2.0 for Windows 3.1 and similar)
For an unknown reason, there's no window for setting up the language preferences. The only way is to edit the config file (iexplore.ini, in Windows' directory). In section Main, you should make Accept_Language_Header equal the list of language codes, separated by spaces, in decreasing priotity order.

Others I don't have info on other browsers. If you can add anything, you should do this.

Paweł Więcek <coven@vmh.net>