Translate Laravel Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require weglot/translate-laravel
   

   The package uses Laravel's auto-discovery, so no manual service provider registration is needed.

2. Publish Config (if needed):

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Weglot\TranslateLaravel\WeglotServiceProvider"
   

   This generates a config/weglot.php file with default settings.

3. Configure Weglot: Add your Weglot API key and project slug to .env:

   WEGLOT_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
   WEGLOT_PROJECT_SLUG=your_project_slug
   

4. First Use Case: Add Weglot's JavaScript snippet to your resources/views/layouts/app.blade.php (or your main layout file):

   @weglot
   

   This outputs the Weglot script with your configured API key and project slug.

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. Dynamic Language Switching: Use Weglot's language detection middleware to auto-switch based on user preferences or browser settings:

   // In routes/web.php
   Route::middleware(['weglot'])->group(function () {
       // Your routes here
   });
   

2. Blade Directives:

   • @weglot: Outputs the Weglot script tag.
   • @weglotLang: Displays the current language (e.g., @weglotLang → "en").
   • @weglotLangSwitcher: Renders a language switcher dropdown.

3. API Integration: Fetch Weglot's translation status or user language via the facade:

   use Weglot\TranslateLaravel\Facades\Weglot;
   
   $currentLang = Weglot::getCurrentLanguage(); // e.g., "fr"
   $isTranslated = Weglot::isTranslated();      // boolean
   

4. Asset Optimization: Load Weglot asynchronously or defer its script to improve page load performance:

   @weglot(['async' => true])
   

5. Conditional Loading: Only load Weglot for specific locales or routes:

   if (app()->getLocale() !== 'en') {
       @weglot
   }
   

Integration Tips

• Laravel Mix/Webpack: Exclude Weglot's script from bundling (it’s third-party).
• Caching: Weglot’s JS handles caching; avoid re-rendering @weglot in cached views.
• Testing: Mock Weglot’s facade in PHPUnit:

  $this->partialMock(Weglot::class, ['getCurrentLanguage']);
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Deprecation Warning: The package is deprecated. Migrate to Weglot’s subdomain integration for long-term support.

   • Workaround: Use the package temporarily for quick prototyping, but plan to replace it.

2. Configuration Overrides:

   • The weglot.php config file may not exist after installation. Publish it explicitly if customization is needed.
   • Default values (e.g., default_language) are hardcoded in the package. Override them in the config file.

3. JavaScript Conflicts:

   • Weglot’s script may interfere with other translation tools or SPAs. Test thoroughly.
   • If using Laravel Mix, ensure the @weglot directive is placed before </body> to avoid race conditions.

4. Locale Mismatch:

   • Weglot’s detected language (@weglotLang) may differ from Laravel’s app()->getLocale(). Sync them via middleware:

     public function handle($request, Closure $next) {
         $weglotLang = Weglot::getCurrentLanguage();
         if ($weglotLang && !in_array($weglotLang, config('app.locales'))) {
             app()->setLocale(config('app.fallback_locale'));
         }
         return $next($request);
     }
     

5. API Key Exposure:

   • The .env file is committed by default in some setups. Add weglot.php to .gitignore if it contains sensitive keys.

Debugging Tips

• Check Console Errors: Weglot’s JS may log errors if the API key/project slug is invalid.

• Disable Weglot Temporarily:

  // In config/weglot.php
  'enabled' => env('WEGLOT_ENABLED', false),
  

  Set WEGLOT_ENABLED=false in .env to debug without Weglot.

• Inspect Network Requests: Verify Weglot’s API calls in Chrome DevTools (Network tab) under weglot.com.

Extension Points

1. Custom Language Detection: Override Weglot’s language logic by extending the Weglot facade:

   Weglot::extend(function ($app) {
       $app->bind('weglot.detector', function () {
           return new CustomLanguageDetector();
       });
   });
   

2. Post-Translation Hooks: Trigger actions after language changes (e.g., redirect or reload):

   // In a custom JS file
   window.Weglot.on('languageChanged', function() {
       window.location.reload();
   });
   

3. Server-Side Fallbacks: Use Weglot’s API to fetch translations for untranslated content:

   public function getTranslation($text, $targetLang) {
       return Weglot::translate($text, $targetLang); // Hypothetical method
   }
   

   Note: The package lacks a direct API client; use Weglot’s official API instead.