Fluid Topics Version 5.1

Alpha release of the translation feature

There’s nothing more frustrating than finding the right content, only to be held up by the need to translate it. That’s why we’re currently working on a new feature: on-the-fly translation.

The initial step toward achieving this goal is to first accurately translate content on demand (when requested by the user in the Reader page), and then apply the translation in real-time.

For improved accuracy, Fluid Topics leverages trained machine translation (MT) engines. These specialized models deliver more precise and high-quality results compared to generic LLM models.

We are currently rolling out an alpha version of our translation backend, and we will soon be following up with a dedicated on-demand translation component in the Reader designer. Once this first step is done, we will move on to the on-the-fly capability.

New translation profile

This feature introduces the concept of Translation profile, which allows admin users to configure a translation provider along with any specific parameters required for customization.

Header Designer

The Header Designer is now available in beta version, providing new tools to create branded and engaging headers for Fluid Topics portals.

Search block

Introducing the new Search Block component. Now available in all designers, bringing a powerful boost to search capabilities across your site. This fully integrated search capability features a Search bar, dynamic Search results, intuitive Filters, and Action blocks, offering a comprehensive and customizable search experience.

Hierarchical tree facets component

Enhance navigation with tree-structured metadata facets, making it easier for users to explore product categories and subcategories.

Component Enhancements

Ongoing improvements to core components, including username display, interface language selectors, and additional properties to make your designs more personalized and functional.

Conditional Visibility

This feature allows you to dynamically display elements of any designed interface based on specific conditions. You can combine multiple rules to achieve maximum flexibility, such as displaying content based on authentication status, user roles, and tags. Additionally, you can set visibility rules based on metadata, language preferences, smart tabs, and much more.

Metadata as date

This update brings enhanced flexibility and localization to how dates are managed in your content.

Key Highlights:

• Flexible Date Formats: You can now define dates in various formats (e.g., dd/MM/yyyy, yyyy-MM-dd), ensuring easier data integration and consistent formatting across your content.
• Localized Display in Designers: Dates will automatically adjust to your preferred language and component configuration (e.g., short, long, with hour format). For example, dates will display as 12/31/2023 in US English and 31/12/2023 in French.
• Enhanced Filtering: Filter by date with precision using the Period Filter component, which works on both internal date metadata and custom metadata.

This feature ensures that date-related metadata is accessible and consistent, no matter the language.

Accessibility Updates

At Fluid Topics, we are dedicated to creating an inclusive platform that adheres to the highest accessibility standards. As part of this commitment, we have rolled out several important improvements to ensure a smooth experience for all users, including those relying on assistive technologies. Here’s a summary of the recent updates:

Screen Reader and Navigation Enhancements

• Language Selector: Improved semantics and arrow key navigation for easier screen reader announcements and language selection.
• Filter Components: Checkbox groups are now collectively recognized, with clear titles providing better context for users.
• Metadata Navigation: Enhanced keyboard access and contextual mapping of elements, such as menu headers, for a more intuitive navigation experience.

Modal and Dialog Interaction Improvements

• Dialog Accessibility: We’ve introduced role=”dialog”, aria-modal, and aria-label for modal components (e.g., “Send Feedback,” “Print Topics”), ensuring they’re accessible with assistive tools.
• Autofocus Management: When a modal opens, focus automatically shifts to actionable elements, like the close button, improving usability for keyboard users.

Search Accessibility Improvements

• Defined Input Types: All search bars have been redefined as <input type=”search”> instead of <input type=”text”>. This update allows screen readers to properly identify search fields, enhancing usability for visually impaired users across the Designer, Reader, and Home Page.
• ARIA Landmarks: We’ve added ARIA landmarks (role=”search”) with descriptive labels (e.g., aria-label=”search in all documents”), helping screen readers to easily identify and navigate search areas.