---
phase: 15-locale-detection-routing
plan: 02
subsystem: ui
tags: [i18n, locale, hreflang, SEO, accessibility]

# Dependency graph
requires:
  - phase: 15-01
    provides: LocalePicker component with manual selection cookie handling
provides:
  - Language switcher dropdown UI partial
  - Header integration with language switcher
  - hreflang tags for SEO across all layouts
affects: [16-browser-detection, 17-locale-testing]

# Tech tracking
tech-stack:
  added: []
  patterns:
    - Accessible dropdown with ARIA attributes
    - CSS-only dropdown animation (opacity/visibility/transform)
    - Mobile-responsive icon-only switcher

key-files:
  created:
    - themes/quotify/partials/language-switcher.htm
    - themes/quotify/assets/css/components/language-switcher.css
  modified:
    - themes/quotify/partials/header.htm
    - themes/quotify/layouts/default.htm
    - themes/quotify/layouts/dashboard.htm
    - themes/quotify/layouts/empty.htm
    - themes/quotify/assets/css/app.css
    - themes/quotify/assets/css/layout.css

key-decisions:
  - "Native language names in switcher (Polski, Deutsch, English)"
  - "Icon-only switcher on mobile (globe icon via SVG data URI)"
  - "hreflang tags in head before favicon for SEO priority"

patterns-established:
  - "Language switcher uses data-request to localePicker::onSwitchLocale"
  - "Components directory for modular CSS (components/language-switcher.css)"
  - "header-actions wrapper for header utilities"

# Metrics
duration: 2min
completed: 2026-02-02
---

# Phase 15 Plan 02: Language Switcher UI Summary

**Accessible language switcher dropdown in header with hreflang SEO tags across all layouts**

## Performance

- **Duration:** 2 min
- **Started:** 2026-02-02T01:05:47Z
- **Completed:** 2026-02-02T01:07:48Z
- **Tasks:** 3
- **Files modified:** 8

## Accomplishments
- Created language switcher partial with accessible dropdown (ARIA attributes, keyboard navigation)
- Integrated switcher into site header with responsive styling
- Added localePicker and alternateHrefLangElements components to all layouts
- hreflang tags now output in head section for SEO

## Task Commits

Each task was committed atomically:

1. **Task 1: Create language switcher partial and CSS** - `2e045dd` (feat)
2. **Task 2: Integrate language switcher into header** - `ec454b5` (feat)
3. **Task 3: Register components and add hreflang to layouts** - `0a07da8` (feat)

## Files Created/Modified
- `themes/quotify/partials/language-switcher.htm` - Dropdown UI with locale options
- `themes/quotify/assets/css/components/language-switcher.css` - Responsive dropdown styles
- `themes/quotify/assets/css/app.css` - Import for language-switcher CSS
- `themes/quotify/assets/css/layout.css` - header-actions positioning styles
- `themes/quotify/partials/header.htm` - Language switcher integration
- `themes/quotify/layouts/default.htm` - localePicker + hreflang
- `themes/quotify/layouts/dashboard.htm` - localePicker + hreflang
- `themes/quotify/layouts/empty.htm` - localePicker + hreflang

## Decisions Made
- **Native language names:** Display "Polski", "Deutsch", "English" (not English translations)
- **Mobile icon:** Globe SVG as data URI in CSS for icon-only mobile display
- **hreflang placement:** Before favicon in head section for SEO priority

## Deviations from Plan
None - plan executed exactly as written.

## Issues Encountered
None.

## User Setup Required
None - no external service configuration required.

## Next Phase Readiness
- Language switcher fully functional with all three locales
- Clicking any language triggers localePicker::onSwitchLocale which sets cookie and redirects
- hreflang tags enable search engines to index all language versions
- Ready for Phase 16 (Browser Detection) or Phase 17 (Locale Testing)

---
*Phase: 15-locale-detection-routing*
*Completed: 2026-02-02*