WPML language switcher issue

### 1. **Check WPML Settings**:
– Go to **WPML > Languages** in your WordPress dashboard.
– Ensure that the language switcher settings are configured correctly.
– Make sure the option **"Display the current language"** is enabled, as this will allow the selected language to appear at the top of the dropdown.

### 2. **Customizing the Language Switcher (if using custom code)**:
– If you're using a custom language switcher, ensure you're using the correct WPML function:

do_action('wpml_add_language_selector');

– If you're manually handling the language switcher, try using `icl_get_languages()` to retrieve language data and render it manually, making sure the selected language is placed at the top:

$languages = icl_get_languages('skip_missing=1');
     if (!empty($languages)) {
         foreach ($languages as $lang) {
             if ($lang['active']) {
                 echo '<option value="' . $lang['url'] . '" selected>' . $lang['native_name'] . '</option>';
             } else {
                 echo '<option value="' . $lang['url'] . '">' . $lang['native_name'] . '</option>';
             }
         }
     }

### 3. **Check for Caching Issues**:
– Sometimes, caching plugins (like WP Super Cache or W3Speedster) may prevent changes from showing. Clear the cache and try again.

### 4. **Review Theme or Plugin Conflicts**:
– The theme or another plugin may be overriding the WPML language switcher. Disable other plugins or switch to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) to check if the issue persists.

### 5. **WPML Compatibility Check**:
– Ensure that your WPML plugin is up to date and compatible with your theme and other plugins. Check for any known issues in the [WPML support forum](https://wpml.org/forums/).

If these steps don't resolve the issue, you can provide more details on your setup (e.g., custom language switcher code or theme), and I'll assist further!

### 1. **Customizing the WPML Language Switcher Output**:
If you're using WPML's built-in language switcher in a “ structure, you can control the order of items through CSS or by modifying how the switcher is rendered.

#### Example: Customizing the WPML Language Switcher with PHP
You can use the `wpml_language_selector` function to customize the output:

<?php
// Custom WPML language switcher output
$langs = icl_get_languages('skip_missing=1');
if (!empty($langs)) {
    echo '<ul class="language-switcher">';
    foreach ($langs as $lang) {
        $class = $lang['active'] ? 'class="current-lang"' : '';
        echo '<li ' . $class . '><a href="' . $lang['url'] . '">' . $lang['native_name'] . '</a></li>';
    }
    echo '</ul>';
}
?>

This code will output the language switcher as a list (“) and ensure the active language (the currently selected language) has a distinct class (`current-lang`).

### 2. **Styling the Language Switcher (CSS)**:
You can use CSS to modify the appearance and order of languages. For example, to ensure the active language appears at the top of the dropdown, you can target it with a class.

#### CSS Example:

/* Ensure the active language appears at the top */
.language-switcher li.current-lang {
    font-weight: bold;
    color: #0073aa; /* Set your preferred color */
}

/* Optional: Style the dropdown to look like a typical select box */
.language-switcher {
    list-style-type: none;
    padding: 0;
    margin: 0;
}

.language-switcher li {
    display: inline-block;
    margin: 0 10px;
}

.language-switcher a {
    text-decoration: none;
    color: inherit;
}

This CSS will make the active language more visible by highlighting it in bold and giving it a distinct color.

### 3. **WPML Language Switcher Settings**:
If you are using the default WPML language switcher widget, ensure that the setting to **"Display the current language"** is enabled under **WPML > Languages > Language switcher options**.

### 4. **Customizing the Dropdown Display**:
If you're aiming to have the language selector appear as a dropdown instead of a list (“), you might want to add some JavaScript or CSS to turn the list into a dropdown. Here's an example:

#### CSS Example for a Dropdown:

.language-switcher {
    list-style-type: none;
    padding: 0;
    margin: 0;
}

.language-switcher li {
    display: block;
}

.language-switcher a {
    display: block;
    padding: 10px;
    background-color: #f4f4f4;
    color: #333;
    border: 1px solid #ddd;
    text-decoration: none;
}

/* Style the parent to look like a dropdown */
.language-switcher li:first-child {
    display: none; /* Hide the first item if needed */
}

/* Optional: Make the list look like a dropdown */
.language-switcher {
    position: relative;
}

.language-switcher li:last-child {
    position: relative;
    display: inline-block;
    width: 200px;
}

This approach will make your language selector appear as a dropdown list when viewed on the page.

Let me know if you need further assistance with any of these steps!