Last modified: 2011-03-13 18:06:28 UTC
Created attachment 6408 [details] Screenshot - detail of Special:Preferenes There is a serious layout problem in Special:Preferences, and a minor one. Major: As the attached screen shot shows, we have 3 labels to the left of their respective input fields, and all others to the right. This causes strange line wraps to appear wastes a lot of space, and is bewildering for the average user. All texts should be to the right of their respective inputs. Even in normal English, you do not write e.g. "Rows: 80" but you write "80 rows" Minor: The last 3 items show that lines wrap underneath their respective input fields. While this is of course acceptable, it might be nicer, if they didn't.
This is how all of the forms work site-wide. Labels are on the left of form elements with the exception of checkboxes.
We're not going to "fix" the issue with labels on different sides. Traditionally, checkboxes are labelled from the right, and input fields are labelled from the left. As a translator, you would appreciate the huge amount of wasted effort that would be involved in moving labels site-wide to the RHS of the fields. It's standard to put the label on the left of the input in forms, even physical ones. The other issue you report is due to the necessity of making inputs line up — otherwise, it looks hideous. So both of these issues I am marking as WONTFIX.