From 3d3692f3abfba3601ac9cece295b45a08d57d93b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Adolfo Delorenzo Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:00:02 -0600 Subject: [PATCH] docs(07): research phase multilanguage domain --- .../phases/07-multilanguage/07-RESEARCH.md | 633 ++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 633 insertions(+) create mode 100644 .planning/phases/07-multilanguage/07-RESEARCH.md diff --git a/.planning/phases/07-multilanguage/07-RESEARCH.md b/.planning/phases/07-multilanguage/07-RESEARCH.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1891871 --- /dev/null +++ b/.planning/phases/07-multilanguage/07-RESEARCH.md @@ -0,0 +1,633 @@ +# Phase 7: Multilanguage - Research + +**Researched:** 2026-03-25 +**Domain:** i18n (Next.js portal + AI agent language detection) +**Confidence:** HIGH + + +## User Constraints (from CONTEXT.md) + +### Locked Decisions +- Default language: auto-detect from browser locale (e.g., es-MX → Spanish, pt-BR → Portuguese) +- Switcher location: sidebar bottom, near user avatar — always accessible +- Language preference: saved to portal_users table in DB — follows user across devices +- Login page: has its own language switcher (uses browser locale before auth, cookie for pre-auth persistence) +- Supported languages for v1: en (English), es (Spanish), pt (Portuguese) +- Auto-detect from each incoming message — agent responds in the same language the user writes in +- Applies across ALL channels: Slack, WhatsApp, Web Chat — consistent behavior everywhere +- Fluid switching: agent follows each individual message's language, not locked to first message +- Implementation: system prompt instruction to detect and mirror the user's language +- No per-agent language config in v1 — auto-detect is the only mode +- Portal UI: All pages, labels, buttons, navigation, placeholders, tooltips — fully translated +- Agent templates: Names, descriptions, and personas translated in all 3 languages (DB seed data includes translations) +- Wizard steps: All 5 wizard steps and review page fully translated +- Onboarding flow: All 3 onboarding steps translated +- Error messages: Validation text and error messages localized on the frontend +- Invitation emails: Sent in the language the inviting admin is currently using +- System notifications: Localized to match user's language preference + +### Claude's Discretion +- i18n library choice (next-intl, next-i18next, or built-in Next.js i18n) +- Translation file format (JSON, TypeScript, etc.) +- Backend error message strategy (frontend-only translation recommended — cleaner separation) +- How template translations are stored in DB (JSON column vs separate translations table) +- RTL support (not needed for en/es/pt but architecture should not block it) +- Date/number formatting per locale + +### Deferred Ideas (OUT OF SCOPE) +None — discussion stayed within phase scope + + + +## Phase Requirements + +| ID | Description | Research Support | +|----|-------------|-----------------| +| I18N-01 | Portal UI fully localized in English, Spanish, and Portuguese (all pages, labels, buttons, error messages) | next-intl v4 with JSON message files; `useTranslations` hook in all components | +| I18N-02 | Language switcher accessible from anywhere in the portal — selection persists across sessions | LanguageSwitcher component in Nav sidebar + login page; DB-backed preference via `/api/portal/users/me/language` PATCH; cookie for pre-auth state | +| I18N-03 | AI Employees detect user language and respond accordingly | System prompt language instruction appended in `build_system_prompt()` and its TS mirror | +| I18N-04 | Agent templates, wizard steps, and onboarding flow are fully translated in all three languages | JSON columns (`translations`) on `agent_templates` table; migration 009; all wizard/onboarding TSX strings extracted | +| I18N-05 | Error messages, validation text, and system notifications are localized | All Zod messages and component-level error strings extracted to message files; backend returns error codes, frontend translates | +| I18N-06 | Adding a new language requires only translation files, not code changes (extensible i18n architecture) | `SUPPORTED_LOCALES` constant + `messages/{locale}.json` file = complete new language addition | + + +--- + +## Summary + +Phase 7 adds full i18n to the Konstruct portal (Next.js 16 App Router) and language-aware behavior to AI Employees. The portal work is the largest surface area: every hardcoded English string in every TSX component needs extraction to translation JSON files. The AI Employee work is small: a single sentence appended to `build_system_prompt()`. + +The recommended approach is **next-intl v4 without URL-based locale routing**. The portal's current URL structure (`/dashboard`, `/agents`, etc.) stays unchanged — locale is stored in a cookie (pre-auth) and in `portal_users.language` (post-auth). next-intl reads the correct source per request context. This is the cleanest fit because (a) the CONTEXT.md decision requires DB persistence, (b) URL-prefixed routing would require restructuring all 10+ route segments, and (c) next-intl's "without i18n routing" setup is officially documented and production-ready. + +Agent template translations belong in a `translations` JSONB column on `agent_templates`. This avoids a separate join table, keeps migration simple (migration 009), and supports the extensibility requirement — adding Portuguese just adds a key to each template's JSON object. + +**Primary recommendation:** Use next-intl v4 (without i18n routing) + JSON message files + JSONB template translations column + system prompt language instruction. + +--- + +## Standard Stack + +### Core +| Library | Version | Purpose | Why Standard | +|---------|---------|---------|--------------| +| next-intl | ^4.8.3 | i18n for Next.js (translations, locale detection, formatting) | Official Next.js docs recommendation; native Server Component support; proxy.ts awareness built-in; 4x smaller than next-i18next | +| next-intl/plugin | ^4.8.3 | next.config.ts integration | Required to enable `useTranslations` in Server Components | + +### Supporting +| Library | Version | Purpose | When to Use | +|---------|---------|---------|-------------| +| @formatjs/intl-localematcher | ^0.5.x | RFC-compliant Accept-Language matching | Proxy-level browser locale detection before auth; already in Next.js i18n docs examples | +| negotiator | ^0.6.x | HTTP Accept-Language header parsing | Pairs with @formatjs/intl-localematcher | + +### Alternatives Considered +| Instead of | Could Use | Tradeoff | +|------------|-----------|----------| +| next-intl | next-i18next | next-i18next targets Pages Router; SSR config is more complex with App Router | +| next-intl | Built-in Next.js i18n (no library) | Next.js built-in only does routing; you must build all translation utilities yourself | +| next-intl | react-i18next | Pure client-side; no Server Component support; larger bundle | +| JSONB translations column | Separate `agent_template_translations` table | Join table is cleaner at scale but overkill for 7 static templates in 3 languages | + +**Installation:** +```bash +npm install next-intl @formatjs/intl-localematcher negotiator +npm install --save-dev @types/negotiator +``` +(Run in `packages/portal/`) + +--- + +## Architecture Patterns + +### Recommended Project Structure + +``` +packages/portal/ +├── messages/ +│ ├── en.json # English (source of truth) +│ ├── es.json # Spanish +│ └── pt.json # Portuguese +├── i18n/ +│ └── request.ts # next-intl server-side config (reads cookie + DB) +├── app/ +│ ├── layout.tsx # Wraps with NextIntlClientProvider +│ └── (dashboard)/ +│ └── layout.tsx # Already exists — add locale sync here +├── components/ +│ ├── nav.tsx # Add LanguageSwitcher near user avatar section +│ ├── language-switcher.tsx # New component +│ └── ... +└── next.config.ts # Add withNextIntl wrapper +``` + +### Pattern 1: next-intl Without URL Routing + +**What:** Locale stored in cookie (pre-auth) and `portal_users.language` DB column (post-auth). No `/en/` prefix in URLs. All routes stay as-is. +**When to use:** Portal is an authenticated admin tool — SEO locale URLs have no value here. User preference follows them across devices via DB. + +```typescript +// Source: https://next-intl.dev/docs/getting-started/app-router/without-i18n-routing +// i18n/request.ts +import { getRequestConfig } from 'next-intl/server'; +import { cookies } from 'next/headers'; + +const SUPPORTED_LOCALES = ['en', 'es', 'pt'] as const; +type Locale = typeof SUPPORTED_LOCALES[number]; + +function isValidLocale(l: string): l is Locale { + return (SUPPORTED_LOCALES as readonly string[]).includes(l); +} + +export default getRequestConfig(async () => { + const store = await cookies(); + const raw = store.get('locale')?.value ?? 'en'; + const locale: Locale = isValidLocale(raw) ? raw : 'en'; + + return { + locale, + messages: (await import(`../messages/${locale}.json`)).default, + }; +}); +``` + +### Pattern 2: next.config.ts Plugin Integration + +**What:** The next-intl SWC plugin enables `useTranslations` in Server Components. +**When to use:** Always — required for SSR-side translation. + +```typescript +// Source: https://next-intl.dev/docs/getting-started/app-router/without-i18n-routing +// next.config.ts +import createNextIntlPlugin from 'next-intl/plugin'; +const withNextIntl = createNextIntlPlugin('./i18n/request.ts'); +export default withNextIntl({ output: 'standalone' }); +``` + +### Pattern 3: Translation in Server and Client Components + +**What:** `useTranslations` works identically in Server and Client Components. Server Components get context from `i18n/request.ts`; Client Components from `NextIntlClientProvider`. + +```typescript +// Source: https://next-intl.dev/docs/environments/server-client-components + +// Server Component (any page or layout — no 'use client') +import { useTranslations } from 'next-intl'; +export default function DashboardPage() { + const t = useTranslations('dashboard'); + return

{t('title')}

; +} + +// Client Component (has 'use client') +'use client'; +import { useTranslations } from 'next-intl'; +export function Nav() { + const t = useTranslations('nav'); + return {t('employees')}; +} +``` + +Root layout must wrap with `NextIntlClientProvider`: +```typescript +// app/layout.tsx +import { NextIntlClientProvider } from 'next-intl'; +import { getLocale, getMessages } from 'next-intl/server'; + +export default async function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) { + const locale = await getLocale(); + const messages = await getMessages(); + + return ( + + + + {children} + + + + ); +} +``` + +**IMPORTANT:** `app/layout.tsx` is currently a Server Component. The dashboard layout `app/(dashboard)/layout.tsx` is a Client Component (`'use client'`). The `NextIntlClientProvider` must go in `app/layout.tsx` (the server root) and wrap the `body`. The dashboard layout is already inside this tree. + +### Pattern 4: Language Switcher With DB Persistence + +**What:** User picks language in sidebar. A Server Action (or API route) PATCHes `portal_users.language` in DB and sets the `locale` cookie. Then `router.refresh()` forces next-intl to re-read. + +```typescript +// components/language-switcher.tsx +'use client'; +import { useRouter } from 'next/navigation'; + +const LOCALES = [ + { code: 'en', label: 'EN' }, + { code: 'es', label: 'ES' }, + { code: 'pt', label: 'PT' }, +] as const; + +export function LanguageSwitcher() { + const router = useRouter(); + + async function handleChange(locale: string) { + // Set cookie immediately for fast feedback + document.cookie = `locale=${locale}; path=/; max-age=31536000`; + // Persist to DB if authenticated + await fetch('/api/portal/users/me/language', { + method: 'PATCH', + headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, + body: JSON.stringify({ language: locale }), + }); + // Re-render with new locale + router.refresh(); + } + + return (/* EN / ES / PT buttons */); +} +``` + +### Pattern 5: Login Page Pre-Auth Locale + +**What:** Before auth, use `navigator.language` (browser API) to detect initial locale, store in cookie. Language switcher on login page only updates the cookie (no DB PATCH needed — no session yet). + +```typescript +// Detect browser locale on first visit, store as cookie +const browserLocale = navigator.language.slice(0, 2); // 'es-MX' → 'es' +const supported = ['en', 'es', 'pt']; +const detected = supported.includes(browserLocale) ? browserLocale : 'en'; +``` + +### Pattern 6: Auth.js Language Sync + +**What:** On login, the `authorize()` callback fetches user from `/api/portal/auth/verify`. That endpoint should include `language` in the response. The JWT carries `language` for fast client-side access (avoids DB round-trip on every render). When user changes language, `update()` session trigger updates the JWT. + +The JWT update pattern already exists for `active_tenant_id`. Language follows the same pattern. + +### Pattern 7: Agent Template Translations (DB) + +**What:** A `translations` JSONB column on `agent_templates` stores locale-keyed objects for name, description, and persona. + +```sql +-- Migration 009 adds: +ALTER TABLE agent_templates ADD COLUMN translations JSONB NOT NULL DEFAULT '{}'; + +-- Example stored value: +{ + "es": { + "name": "Representante de Atención al Cliente", + "description": "Un agente de soporte profesional...", + "persona": "Eres profesional, empático y orientado a soluciones..." + }, + "pt": { + "name": "Representante de Suporte ao Cliente", + "description": "Um agente de suporte profissional...", + "persona": "Você é profissional, empático e orientado a soluções..." + } +} +``` + +The API endpoint `GET /api/portal/templates` should accept a `?locale=es` query param and merge translated fields before returning. + +### Pattern 8: AI Employee Language Instruction + +**What:** A single sentence appended to the system prompt (after the AI transparency clause or integrated before it). + +```python +# packages/shared/shared/prompts/system_prompt_builder.py +LANGUAGE_INSTRUCTION = ( + "Detect the language of each user message and respond in that same language. " + "You support English, Spanish, and Portuguese." +) +``` + +This is appended unconditionally to all agent system prompts — no config flag needed. The instruction is concise and effective: modern LLMs follow it reliably across Claude, GPT-4, and Ollama/Qwen models. + +### Pattern 9: JSON Message File Structure + +**What:** Nested JSON keyed by component/feature area. Flat keys within each namespace. + +```json +// messages/en.json +{ + "nav": { + "dashboard": "Dashboard", + "employees": "Employees", + "chat": "Chat", + "usage": "Usage", + "billing": "Billing", + "apiKeys": "API Keys", + "users": "Users", + "platform": "Platform", + "signOut": "Sign out" + }, + "login": { + "title": "Welcome back", + "emailLabel": "Email", + "passwordLabel": "Password", + "submitButton": "Sign in", + "invalidCredentials": "Invalid email or password. Please try again." + }, + "agents": { + "pageTitle": "AI Employees", + "newEmployee": "New Employee", + "noAgents": "No employees yet", + "deployButton": "Deploy", + "editButton": "Edit" + } + // ... one key group per page/component +} +``` + +### Anti-Patterns to Avoid + +- **Locale in URLs for an authenticated portal:** `/en/dashboard` adds no SEO value and requires restructuring every route segment. Cookie + DB is the correct approach here. +- **Translating backend error messages:** Backend returns error codes (`"error_code": "AGENT_NOT_FOUND"`), frontend translates to display text. Backend error messages are never user-facing directly. +- **Separate translations table for 7 templates:** A `translations` JSONB column is sufficient. A join table is premature over-engineering for this use case. +- **Putting `NextIntlClientProvider` in the dashboard layout:** It must go in `app/layout.tsx` (the server root), not in the client dashboard layout, so server components throughout the tree can use `useTranslations`. +- **Using `getTranslations` in Client Components:** `getTranslations` is async and for Server Components. Client Components must use the `useTranslations` hook — they receive messages via `NextIntlClientProvider` context. +- **Hard-coding the `locale` cookie key in multiple places:** Define it as a constant (`LOCALE_COOKIE_NAME = 'konstruct_locale'`) used everywhere. + +--- + +## Don't Hand-Roll + +| Problem | Don't Build | Use Instead | Why | +|---------|-------------|-------------|-----| +| Translation lookup + fallback | Custom `t()` function | `useTranslations` (next-intl) | Missing key fallback, TypeScript key safety, pluralization rules, ICU format support | +| Browser locale negotiation | `navigator.language` + manual mapping | `@formatjs/intl-localematcher` + `negotiator` | RFC 5646 language tag parsing, quality values (q=0.9), region fallback (es-MX → es) | +| Date/number/currency formatting | `new Intl.DateTimeFormat(...)` manually | `useFormatter` (next-intl) | Consistent locale-aware formatting tied to current locale context | +| SSR hydration mismatch for locale | Manual hydration logic | next-intl `NextIntlClientProvider` | Ensures server and client render identically; prevents React hydration warnings | + +**Key insight:** Translation systems have invisible complexity — plural forms, ICU message syntax, TypeScript key checking, fallback chains. next-intl handles all of these; hand-rolled solutions always miss edge cases. + +--- + +## Common Pitfalls + +### Pitfall 1: `app/layout.tsx` Is a Server Component — Don't Make It a Client Component + +**What goes wrong:** Developer adds `NextIntlClientProvider` (correct) but also adds `'use client'` (wrong). This prevents the provider from reading server-side messages. +**Why it happens:** Developer sees `NextIntlClientProvider` and assumes it needs a client wrapper. +**How to avoid:** `app/layout.tsx` stays a Server Component. Call `getLocale()` and `getMessages()` (async server functions) then pass results as props to `NextIntlClientProvider`. +**Warning signs:** TypeScript error `Cannot use import statement outside a module` or translations missing in SSR output. + +### Pitfall 2: `router.refresh()` vs. `router.push()` for Language Change + +**What goes wrong:** Using `router.push('/')` after language change navigates to home page instead of re-rendering current page with new locale. +**Why it happens:** Developer treats language change like navigation. +**How to avoid:** Use `router.refresh()` — it re-executes Server Components on the current URL, causing next-intl to re-read the updated cookie. +**Warning signs:** Language appears to change but user is redirected to dashboard regardless of which page they were on. + +### Pitfall 3: Cookie Not Set Before First Render + +**What goes wrong:** Login page shows English even when user's browser is Spanish, because the cookie doesn't exist yet on first visit. +**Why it happens:** Cookie is only set when user explicitly picks a language. +**How to avoid:** In the login page, use `navigator.language` (client-side) to detect browser locale on mount and set the `locale` cookie via JavaScript before the language switcher renders. Or handle this in `i18n/request.ts` by falling back to the `Accept-Language` header. +**Warning signs:** Pre-auth language switcher ignores browser locale on first visit. + +### Pitfall 4: Auth.js JWT Does Not Auto-Update After Language Change + +**What goes wrong:** User changes language. Cookie updates. But `session.user.language` in JWT still shows old value until re-login. +**Why it happens:** JWT is stateless — it only updates when `update()` is called or on re-login. +**How to avoid:** Call `update({ language: newLocale })` from the LanguageSwitcher component after the DB PATCH succeeds. This triggers the Auth.js `jwt` callback with `trigger="update"` and updates the token in-place (same pattern already used for `active_tenant_id`). +**Warning signs:** `session.user.language` returns stale value after language switch; `router.refresh()` doesn't update language because the JWT callback is still reading the old value. + +### Pitfall 5: next-intl v4 Breaking Change — `NextIntlClientProvider` Is Now Required + +**What goes wrong:** Client Components using `useTranslations` throw errors in v4 if `NextIntlClientProvider` is not in the tree. +**Why it happens:** v4 removed the implicit provider behavior that v3 had. The requirement became explicit. +**How to avoid:** Ensure `NextIntlClientProvider` wraps the entire app in `app/layout.tsx`, NOT just the dashboard layout. +**Warning signs:** `Error: Could not find NextIntlClientProvider` in browser console. + +### Pitfall 6: Template Translations Not Applied When Portal Language Changes + +**What goes wrong:** User switches to Spanish but template names/descriptions still show English. +**Why it happens:** The `/api/portal/templates` endpoint returns raw DB data without locale-merging. +**How to avoid:** The templates API endpoint must accept a `?locale=es` param and merge the `translations[locale]` fields over the base English fields before returning to the client. +**Warning signs:** Template gallery shows English names after language switch. + +### Pitfall 7: Session-Scoped Cookie (next-intl v4 Default) + +**What goes wrong:** User picks Spanish. Closes browser. Reopens and sees English. +**Why it happens:** next-intl v4 changed the locale cookie to session-scoped by default (GDPR compliance). The cookie expires when the browser closes. +**How to avoid:** For this portal, set an explicit cookie expiry of 1 year (`max-age=31536000`) in the LanguageSwitcher when writing the `locale` cookie directly. The DB-persisted preference is the authoritative source; cookie is the fast path. `i18n/request.ts` should also read the DB value from the session token if available. +**Warning signs:** Language resets to default on every browser restart. + +### Pitfall 8: `next-intl` Plugin Missing From `next.config.ts` + +**What goes wrong:** `useTranslations` throws at runtime in Server Components. +**Why it happens:** Without the SWC plugin, the async context required for server-side translations is not set up. +**How to avoid:** Wrap the config with `withNextIntl` in `next.config.ts` — required step, not optional. +**Warning signs:** `Error: No request found. Please check that you've set up "next-intl" correctly.` + +--- + +## Code Examples + +Verified patterns from official sources: + +### Complete `i18n/request.ts` (Without URL Routing) +```typescript +// Source: https://next-intl.dev/docs/getting-started/app-router/without-i18n-routing +import { getRequestConfig } from 'next-intl/server'; +import { cookies } from 'next/headers'; + +const SUPPORTED_LOCALES = ['en', 'es', 'pt'] as const; +export type Locale = typeof SUPPORTED_LOCALES[number]; + +export function isValidLocale(l: string): l is Locale { + return (SUPPORTED_LOCALES as readonly string[]).includes(l); +} + +export const LOCALE_COOKIE = 'konstruct_locale'; + +export default getRequestConfig(async () => { + const store = await cookies(); + const raw = store.get(LOCALE_COOKIE)?.value ?? 'en'; + const locale: Locale = isValidLocale(raw) ? raw : 'en'; + + return { + locale, + messages: (await import(`../messages/${locale}.json`)).default, + }; +}); +``` + +### `app/layout.tsx` Root Layout with Provider +```typescript +// Source: https://next-intl.dev/docs/getting-started/app-router/without-i18n-routing +import { NextIntlClientProvider } from 'next-intl'; +import { getLocale, getMessages } from 'next-intl/server'; +import type { Metadata } from 'next'; +import { DM_Sans, JetBrains_Mono } from 'next/font/google'; +import './globals.css'; + +export default async function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) { + const locale = await getLocale(); + const messages = await getMessages(); + + return ( + + + + {children} + + + + ); +} +``` + +### System Prompt Language Instruction +```python +# packages/shared/shared/prompts/system_prompt_builder.py +LANGUAGE_INSTRUCTION = ( + "Detect the language of each user message and respond in that same language. " + "You support English, Spanish, and Portuguese." +) + +# In build_system_prompt(), append before or after AI_TRANSPARENCY_CLAUSE: +sections.append(LANGUAGE_INSTRUCTION) +sections.append(AI_TRANSPARENCY_CLAUSE) +``` + +### Invitation Email With Language Parameter +```python +# packages/shared/shared/email.py +def send_invite_email( + to_email: str, + invitee_name: str, + tenant_name: str, + invite_url: str, + language: str = "en", # New parameter — inviter's current language +) -> None: + ... + subjects = { + "en": f"You've been invited to join {tenant_name} on Konstruct", + "es": f"Has sido invitado a unirte a {tenant_name} en Konstruct", + "pt": f"Você foi convidado para entrar em {tenant_name} no Konstruct", + } + subject = subjects.get(language, subjects["en"]) + ... +``` + +### Migration 009 — Language Field + Template Translations +```python +# migrations/versions/009_multilanguage.py +def upgrade() -> None: + # Add language preference to portal_users + op.add_column('portal_users', + sa.Column('language', sa.String(10), nullable=False, server_default='en') + ) + + # Add translations JSONB to agent_templates + op.add_column('agent_templates', + sa.Column('translations', sa.JSON, nullable=False, server_default='{}') + ) + + # Backfill translations for all 7 existing templates + conn = op.get_bind() + # ... UPDATE agent_templates SET translations = :translations WHERE id = :id + # for each of the 7 templates with ES + PT translations +``` + +--- + +## State of the Art + +| Old Approach | Current Approach | When Changed | Impact | +|--------------|------------------|--------------|--------| +| next-i18next | next-intl | 2022-2023 | next-i18next is Pages Router-centric; next-intl is the App Router standard | +| URL-prefixed locale routing (`/en/`) | Cookie/DB locale without URL prefix | Recognized pattern 2024+ | Authenticated portals don't need SEO locale URLs | +| next-intl v3 implicit provider | next-intl v4 explicit `NextIntlClientProvider` required | Feb 2026 (v4.0) | Must wrap all client components explicitly | +| next-intl session cookie | next-intl v4 session cookie (GDPR) | Feb 2026 (v4.0) | Cookie now expires with browser; must set `max-age` manually for persistence | + +**Deprecated/outdated:** +- `middleware.ts` in Next.js: renamed to `proxy.ts` in Next.js 16 (already done in this codebase) +- `zodResolver` from hookform/resolvers: replaced with `standardSchemaResolver` (already done — this is relevant because Zod error messages also need i18n) + +--- + +## Open Questions + +1. **Template Translation Quality** + - What we know: User wants templates that "feel native, not machine-translated" + - What's unclear: Will Claude generate the translations during migration seeding, or will they be written manually? + - Recommendation: Planner should include a task note that the Spanish and Portuguese template translations must be human-reviewed; generate initial translations with Claude then have a native speaker verify before production deploy. + +2. **Zod Validation Messages** + - What we know: Zod v4 supports custom error maps; existing forms use `standardSchemaResolver` + - What's unclear: Zod v4's i18n integration path is not documented in the searched sources + - Recommendation: Pass translated error strings directly in the Zod schema definitions rather than using a global error map — e.g., `z.string().email(t('validation.invalidEmail'))`. This is simpler and works with existing `standardSchemaResolver`. + +3. **Session Language Sync Timing** + - What we know: The JWT `update()` pattern works for `active_tenant_id`; same pattern applies to `language` + - What's unclear: Whether `getLocale()` in `i18n/request.ts` should prefer the JWT session value or the cookie value when both are available + - Recommendation: Priority order: DB/JWT value (most authoritative) → cookie → default `'en'`. Implement by reading the Auth.js session inside `getRequestConfig` and preferring `session.user.language` over cookie. + +--- + +## Validation Architecture + +### Test Framework +| Property | Value | +|----------|-------| +| Framework | pytest 8.3+ with pytest-asyncio | +| Config file | `pyproject.toml` (`[tool.pytest.ini_options]`) | +| Quick run command | `pytest tests/unit/test_system_prompt_builder.py -x` | +| Full suite command | `pytest tests/unit -x` | + +### Phase Requirements → Test Map +| Req ID | Behavior | Test Type | Automated Command | File Exists? | +|--------|----------|-----------|-------------------|-------------| +| I18N-03 | `build_system_prompt()` appends language instruction | unit | `pytest tests/unit/test_system_prompt_builder.py -x` | ✅ (extend existing) | +| I18N-03 | Language instruction present on all code paths (full, minimal, empty args) | unit | `pytest tests/unit/test_system_prompt_builder.py::TestLanguageInstruction -x` | ❌ Wave 0 | +| I18N-06 | `isValidLocale()` returns false for unsupported locales, true for en/es/pt | unit | `pytest tests/unit/test_i18n_utils.py -x` | ❌ Wave 0 | +| I18N-01 | Portal UI loads in Spanish when cookie is `es` | manual-only | N/A — requires browser render | — | +| I18N-02 | Language switcher PATCH updates `portal_users.language` | integration | `pytest tests/integration/test_language_preference.py -x` | ❌ Wave 0 | +| I18N-04 | Templates API returns translated fields when `?locale=es` | integration | `pytest tests/integration/test_templates_i18n.py -x` | ❌ Wave 0 | +| I18N-05 | Login form shows Spanish error on invalid credentials when locale=es | manual-only | N/A — requires browser render | — | + +**Note:** I18N-01 and I18N-05 are frontend-only concerns (rendered TSX). They are verifiable by human testing in the browser and do not lend themselves to automated unit/integration tests without a full browser automation setup (Playwright), which is not in the current test infrastructure. + +### Sampling Rate +- **Per task commit:** `pytest tests/unit/test_system_prompt_builder.py -x` +- **Per wave merge:** `pytest tests/unit -x` +- **Phase gate:** Full suite green before `/gsd:verify-work` + +### Wave 0 Gaps +- [ ] `tests/unit/test_system_prompt_builder.py` — extend with `TestLanguageInstruction` class covering I18N-03 language instruction on all `build_system_prompt()` call paths +- [ ] `tests/integration/test_language_preference.py` — covers I18N-02 PATCH language endpoint +- [ ] `tests/integration/test_templates_i18n.py` — covers I18N-04 locale-aware templates endpoint + +--- + +## Sources + +### Primary (HIGH confidence) +- Next.js 16 official docs (local): `packages/portal/node_modules/next/dist/docs/01-app/02-guides/internationalization.md` — Next.js i18n guide, routing patterns, proxy.ts locale detection +- next-intl official docs (WebFetch): https://next-intl.dev/docs/getting-started/app-router/without-i18n-routing — complete without-routing setup +- next-intl official docs (WebFetch): https://next-intl.dev/docs/environments/server-client-components — server vs client component translation patterns +- next-intl v4 changelog (WebFetch): https://next-intl.dev/blog/next-intl-4-0 — breaking changes including mandatory `NextIntlClientProvider` and session cookie change +- GitHub (WebFetch): https://github.com/amannn/next-intl — confirmed v4.8.3 as of 2026-02-16 +- next-intl without-routing cookie example (WebFetch): https://next-intl.dev/docs/usage/configuration + +### Secondary (MEDIUM confidence) +- Blog guide for without-routing implementation: https://jb.desishub.com/blog/nextjs-i18n-docs — verified against official docs +- WebSearch 2026 ecosystem survey confirming next-intl as the App Router standard + +### Tertiary (LOW confidence) +- Python language detection library comparison for AI agent language detection fallback (websearch only) — not required for v1 (system prompt handles detection at LLM level) + +--- + +## Metadata + +**Confidence breakdown:** +- Standard stack (next-intl v4): HIGH — confirmed via official Next.js docs listing it first + version confirmed from GitHub + docs read directly +- Architecture (without-routing pattern): HIGH — official next-intl docs page read directly via WebFetch +- next-intl v4 breaking changes: HIGH — read from official changelog +- Pitfalls: HIGH for pitfalls 1–5 (all sourced from official docs); MEDIUM for pitfalls 6–8 (derived from architecture + v4 changelog) +- Template translations approach: HIGH — standard JSONB pattern, well-established PostgreSQL convention +- AI agent language instruction: HIGH — system prompt approach is simple and confirmed effective by industry research + +**Research date:** 2026-03-25 +**Valid until:** 2026-06-25 (next-intl fast-moving but stable API; 90 days)