PHP
  Home arrow PHP arrow Simple Localisation with PHP
IBM Rational Software Development Conference
Iron Speed
Dev Articles Forums 
ADO.NET  
Apache  
ASP  
ASP.NET  
C#  
C++  
ColdFusion  
COM/COM+  
Delphi-Kylix  
Design Usability  
Development Cycles  
DHTML  
Embedded Tools  
Flash  
Graphic Design  
HTML  
IIS  
Interviews  
Java  
JavaScript  
MySQL  
Oracle  
Photoshop  
PHP  
Reviews  
Ruby-on-Rails  
SQL  
SQL Server  
Style Sheets  
VB.Net  
Visual Basic  
Web Authoring  
Web Services  
Web Standards  
XML  
Dedicated Servers  
Download TestComplete 
IBM® developerWorks 
Weekly Newsletter
 
Developer Updates  
Free Website Content 
 RSS  Articles
 RSS  Forums
 RSS  All Feeds
Write For Us Get Paid 
Request Media Kit
Contact Us 
Site Map 
Privacy Policy 
Support 
 USERNAME
 
 PASSWORD
 
 
  >>> SIGN UP!  
  Lost Password? 
PHP

Simple Localisation with PHP
By: Emmanuel M. Decarie
  • Search For More Articles!
  • Disclaimer
  • Author Terms
  • Rating: 3 stars3 stars3 stars3 stars3 stars / 3
    2003-07-14

    Table of Contents:

    Rate this Article: Poor Best 
      ADD THIS ARTICLE TO:
      Del.ici.ous Digg
      Blink Simpy
      Google Spurl
      Y! MyWeb Furl
    Email Me Similar Content When Posted
    Add Developer Shed Article Feed To Your Site
    Email Article To Friend
    Print Version Of Article
    PDF Version Of Article
     
     
    Iron Speed
     
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Free Web 2.0 Code Generator! Generate data entry and reporting .NET Web apps in minutes. Quickly create visually stunning, feature-rich apps that are easy to customize and ready to deploy. Download Now!

    In this article Emmanual shows us how to localise our PHP-driven websites...
    • Simple Localization with PHP
    • Listing setstring
    • How it Works
    • Extending setstring
    • Versions History
    • Requirements
    • Download

    On PHP DevCenter, Adam Trachtenberg and Joao Prado Maia have described interesting ways to localize web sites with PHP. In this article I've offered another alternative, which should be easy for non-programmers to use. We will take advantage of the user function setstring function:

    setstring ( $lang, $string, [$lang, $string])

    Here's a working example of a login page in French and English, which could easily be turned into a template:

    Example 1: The Login Page (try me!)

    Français | English | Logoff

    Enregistrement requis

    Nom de login:

    Mot de passe:

    The HTML Source of the Login Page

    <? include_once ("./setstring.inc") ?>
    <?= "<a href='" . $PHP_SELF . "?lang=fr'>Français</a>" ?> |
    <?= "<a href='" . $PHP_SELF . "?lang=en'>English</a>" ?> |
    <?= "<a href='" . $PHP_SELF . "?logoff=1'>Logoff</a>" ?>
    <form method="post" action="<?=$PHP_SELF?>">
        <p>
            <b><?=setstring ( 'fr', 'Enregistrement requis', 'en', 'Login required')?></b>
        </p>
        <p>
            <?=setstring ('fr', 'Nom de login:', 'en', 'Login')?><br><input type="text" name="uid" size="8">
        </p>
        <p>
            <?=setstring ( 'fr', 'Mot de passe:', 'en', 'Password')?><br><input type="password" name="pwd" size="8">
        </p>
        <p>
            <input type="submit" name="processlogin" value=" <?= setstring ( 'fr', 'Confirmer', 'en', 'Submit') ?> ">
        </p>
    </form>

    As you can see, this simple function can be useful when you don't want a web interface for non-programmers to manage different language versions (which the two articles cited above imply). This is ideal in situations where you don't need to display a large amount of content, as is the case of the login page example. (Well, this is not completely accurate as we will see later.)

    The setstring function is easy to manage. It uses session variables to maintain the language preference of the user, and possibly a cookie to maintain state after the session finishes. Let's look at the code now, and I'll explain it in detail below.

    The setstring Listing

     1  ####################################
    2   # setstring.inc - Version 1.0 - December 19 2002
    3   # Copyright: Emmanuel M. Decarie - emm@scriptdigital.com - http://scriptdigital.com
    4   # BSD License
    5   # READ ME: http://www.scriptdigital.com/divers/phplocalization.html
    6   # $Date: 2002/12/19 19:41:45 $ - $RCSfile: setstring.inc,v $ - $Revision: 1.1.1.1 $
    7   ####################################
    8   
    9   # start the session
    10   session_start ();
    11   
    12   # Set the default language.
    13   $defaultlanguage = "fr";
    14   
    15   # Set to 1 if you want to use a cookie.
    16   $use_cookie = 1;
    17   
    18   # Cookie expiration.
    19   $expire_cookie = 3600 * 24 * 2; /* 2 days */
    20   
    21   
    22   # Set $getlang to the requested key for the language if a GET arg 'lang' exists.
    23   $getlang = $_GET['lang'];
    24   
    25   # Set a cookie to the GET arg 'lang' if it exists.
    26   # Set the SESSION key 'lang' to the 'lang' value of the cookie if it exits.
    27   if ( $use_cookie == 1 ) {
    28   if ( isset ($getlang) ) {
    29   setcookie ('lang', $getlang, expire_cookie);
    30   }
    31  
    32   if ( isset ($_COOKIE['lang']) ) {
    33   $_SESSION['lang'] = $_COOKIE['lang'];
    34   }
    35   }
    36   
    37   # Destroy session and cookie.
    38   if ( isset ($_GET['logoff']) ) {
    39   session_destroy ();
    40   if ( $use_cookie == 1 ) { setcookie ('lang',$getlang, -3600); }
    41   header ("Location: http://" . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . "/" . $PHP_SELF);
    42   }
    43   
    44   # The main routine.
    45   # It expect an array for argument: ('lang1', 'string', 'lang2', string').
    46   function setstring () {
    47   global $defaultlanguage;
    48   global $getlang;
    49   $lang = $_SESSION['lang'];
    50   $args = func_get_args ();
    51  
    52   # A newcomer.
    53   if ( !isset ($lang) ) {
    54   session_register ('lang');
    55   $lang = $defaultlanguage;
    56   }
    57  
    58   # give $_GET['lang'] the choice to set $lang 
    59   if (  isset ($getlang) ) { 
    60   $lang = $getlang;
    61   $_SESSION['lang'] = $lang;
    62  
    63   }
    64  
    65   # Now $lang have been set either by $languagedefautl, $getlang, or $_SESSION['lang'].
    66   # Loop in the language array and return $string if $lang is found.
    67   if ( count ($args) ) {
    68   if ( in_array ($lang, $args) ) {
    69   for ($i = 0; $i < count ($args); $i++) {
    70   if ( $args[$i] == $lang ) {
    71   return $args[$i + 1];
    72   }
    73   }
    74   }
    75   }
    76   return "";
    77   }

    How it Works

    Before looking at the script itself, it is important to note that you'll need to put your include statement (the include ("./setstring.inc") call) before any HTML output. This is because setstring can use cookies; see setcookie in the PHP manual for details.

    At the beginning of the script (lines: 12-19) we set the configurations for $defaultlanguage, $use_cookie and $expirecookie. The value of the $defaultlanguage is for newcomers that don't have a cookie or that didn't set the language by clicking on a link. The value of the default language can be anything, as the names of the languages. You can use something like this if you like:

    $defaultlanguage = "schtroumph"
    <?= setstring ('schtroumph', 'Quelle schtroumphe est-il ?', 'klingon', "'arlogh Qoylu'pu'?") ?>

    Don't forget to escape your quotes inside the string returned by the function. This will not work: ('klingon', ''arlogh Qoylu'pu'?') but this will: 'klingon', ('\'arlogh Qoylu\'pu\'?'). You can also change single quote to double quotes as in the example above.

    Also, don't forget to use HTML entities to escape non-ASCII text. If you use languages like Arabic, Chinese or Hebrew, and depending if you use UTF-8 for text encoding or another variety of encoding that is not based on Unicode (like, for example, GB-2312 for Simplified Chinese), you can use directly this encoding with the setstring function. But you have to set the http-equiv in the <meta> tag like this:

    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">

    or 

    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=gb2312">

    You set $use_cookie to 1 if you want your users to keep their language setting after the session finishes, and set $expirecookie to the number of seconds you want the cookie to last. In the example, $expirecookie is set to expire in 2 days.

    The language which the function returns is determined by order of priority:

    • (1) the value of the lang argument in the GET request (lines: 23, 58)

      You set the 'lang' value in the GET request by a link like this so that the page will point to itself:
      <?= "<a href='" . $PHP_SELF . "?lang=fr'>Français</a>" ?>

      And will look like this after PHP has processed it:
      <a href='/divers/phplocalization.html?lang=fr'>Français</a>

      If the 'lang' value in the GET request is set and if $use_cookie == 1, we set a cookie for the 'lang' value.

    • (2) the value of the lang keyword for a cookie set previously by setstring (line: 32)

      This was set in (1) if the user has clicked on a link with '?lang=$lang'.

    • (3) the global value $defaultlanguage (lines: 13, 55)

      If nothing happened at (1) or (2), use the $defaultlanguage value to set the language.

    When the $lang keyword is found, setstring loop in the array that was pass to it (lines: 65-75) and returns the value of the element (which is the $string parameter) after the element that matches the value of $lang. Here's a snippet of code that illustrate the above.

    $lang = 'en';
    setstring ('fr', 'Allo', 'en', 'Hello');
    for ($i = 0; $i < count ($args); $i++) {
        if ( $args[$i] == $lang ) {                 # $lang == 'en'
            return $args[$i + 1];                   # return 'Hello'
        }

    Extending setstring

    If you have repetitive text, you could use setstring with constants, and here's how to do it for the login example above. First, create a file for each language and define the same constants.

    french.inc

    <?
    ####################################
    # french.inc
    # $Date$ - $RCSfile$ - $Revision$
    ####################################
    define ('LOGIN_REQUIRED', "Enregistrement requis");
    define ('LOGIN', "Nom de login");
    define ('PASSWORD', "Mot de passe");
    ?>

    english.inc

    <?
    ####################################
    # english.inc
    # $Date$ - $RCSfile$ - $Revision$
    ####################################
    define ('LOGIN_REQUIRED', "Login Required");
    define ('LOGIN', "Login");
    define ('PASSWORD', "Password");
    ?>

    Then, you just have to use setstring once to build different languages versions. Here, we use setstring to pass the right language file to include.

    Example 2: The Login Page

    <? include_once ("./setstring.inc") ?>
    <? include ( setstring ( 'fr', './french.inc', 'en', './english.inc') )?>
    <?= "<a href='" . $PHP_SELF . "?lang=fr'>Français</a>" ?> |
    <?= "<a href='" . $PHP_SELF . "?lang=en'>English</a>" ?> |
    <?= "<a href='" . $PHP_SELF . "?logoff=1'>Logoff</a>" ?>
    <form method="post" action="<?=$PHP_SELF?>">
    <p>
    <b><?=LOGIN_REQUIRED?></b>
    </p>
    <p>
    <?=LOGIN?><br><input type="text" name="uid" size="8">
    </p>
    <p>
    <?=PASSWORD?><br><input type="password" name="pwd" size="8">
    </p>
    <p>
    <input type="submit" name="processlogin" value=" <?= SUBMIT ?> ">
    </p>
    </form>

    If you have a lot of text you can use an include function with setstring. You create a file for each language as above, and then use the include function:

    Example 3: include and setstring

    <? include_once ("./setstring.inc") ?>
    <?= "<a href='" . $PHP_SELF . "?lang=fr'>Français</a>" ?> |
    <?= "<a href='" . $PHP_SELF . "?lang=en'>English</a>" ?> |
    <?= "<a href='" . $PHP_SELF . "?logoff=1'>Logoff</a>" ?>
    <? include ( setstring ( 'fr', './filefrench.inc', 'en', './fileenglish.inc') )?>

    Versions History

    Version 1.0

    First release: December 19 2002.
    Open Source (BSD license).
    A big thanks to Hans Zaunere, Jim Byrne, Jaz-Michael King, and Deke Smith for reviewing this text.

    Requirements

    PHP greater than 4.1.x

    Download

    Save this page to your disk as "setstring.inc". (This link will open a new window.)

    Notes

    Internationalization and Localization with PHP
    by Adam Trachtenberg
    http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/php/2002/11/28/php_i18n.html?page=1

    Gettext
    by Joao Prado Maia
    http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/php/2002/06/13/php.html


    DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware.

    More PHP Articles
    More By Emmanuel M. Decarie

     

    IBM® developerWorks developerWorks - FREE Tools!


    NEW! Download DB2 9.5 for Linux, Unix, and Windows

    Download a free trial version of IBM DB2 9.5 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows. DB2 9 is the result of a five-year development project that transformed traditional (static) database technology into an interactive data server that merges the high performance and ease of use of DB2 with the self-describing benefits of XML.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Download DB2 Express-C 9.5

    Visit IBM developerWorks to download IBM DB2 Express-C 9.5, a no-charge version of DB2 Express 9 database server. DB2 Express-C offers the same core data server base features as other DB2 Express editions and provides a solid base to build and deploy applications developed using C/C++, Java, .NET, PHP, and other programming languages.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Project and Portfolio Management Executive Resource Kit

    Portfolio Management is about effectively managing portfolio value by aligning portfolio investments with business goals. This complimentary e-kit provides a collection of materials that can help you understand how IBM Rational enables and automates best practices for improved governance and clear visibility into portfolio and project performance across the entire IT project lifecycle.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Rational Talks to You: Per Kroll on Rational Method Composer Plug-in customization

    Join this Rational Talks to You teleconference on December 11 at 1:00 pm ET to get tips on building your own plugins with Rational Method Composer. Get your questions answered!
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Test terminal-based applications with Rational Functional Tester

    Regression testing -- in which code is thoroughly tested to ensure that changes have not produced unexpected results -- is an important part of any development process. But many testing environments neglect the terminal-based applications that still form the backbone of many industries. In this tutorial, you'll learn how the Rational Functional Tester Extension for Terminal-Based Applications works with other Rational Functional Tester to help test terminal-based applications quickly and easily.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! The IBM DB2 Detective Game

    Here's a fun way to learn about DB2! Learn or teach the basics of DB2 and relational database with an interactive game called The DB2 Detective Game. The game teaches relational database concepts and shows how technology can be applied to solving real-life problems (the game's theme is a crime investigation). This tutorial has been updated for DB2 9.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Trial download: IBM Rational Manual Tester V7.0.1

    Try the latest version of IBM Rational Manual Tester V7.0.1 by downloading a free trial from IBM developerWorks. This manual test authoring and execution tool promotes test step reuse to reduce the impact of software change on testers and business analysts and addresses the needs of teams performing at least a portion of their testing manually.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Try the IBM SOA Sandbox for Process

    Visit IBM developerWorks to try the IBM SOA Sandbox for process. The SOA Sandbox for process focuses on providing a trial environment with the necessary tooling and components required to gain a better understanding of business processes and how to best improve existing business processes to derive value quickly.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Using IBM Rational Tester for SOA Quality: Using IBM Rational Tester for SOA Quality with IBM WebSphere MQ Version 6.0

    Learn how IBM Rational Tester for SOA Quality addresses IBM WebSphere MQ with Web services. You get hands-on experience in creating a test, handling the WebSphere MQ series protocol, configuring the test, and then replaying it.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Webcast: Quickly provide customized, integrated user interfaces with Lotus Notes 8

    IBM Lotus Notes 8 provides a wide range of developers the ability to provide customized, integrated user interfaces via composite applications and via custom sidebar and toolbar plug-ins. This webcast provides you with tips and techniques to use with out-of-the-box capabilities of Lotus Notes 8, and survey how you can share useful components within your own company and within a larger community.
    FREE! Go There Now!



    All FREE IBM® developerWorks Tools!

    PHP ARTICLES

    - Making Usage Statistics in PHP
    - Installing PHP under Windows: Further Config...
    - File Version Management in PHP
    - Statistical View of Data in a Clustered Bar ...
    - Creating a Multi-File Upload Script in PHP
    - Executing Microsoft SQL Server Stored Proced...
    - Code 10x More Efficiently Using Data Access ...
    - A Few Tips for Speeding Up PHP Code
    - The Modular Web Page
    - Quick E-Commerce with PHP and PayPal
    - Regression Testing With JMeter
    - Building an Iterator with PHP
    - PHP Frontend to ImageMagick
    - Using PEAR's mimeDecode Module
    - Incoming Mail and PHP






    © 2003-2008 by Developer Shed. All rights reserved. DS Cluster 4 hosted by Hostway