Are you tired of manually translating every single custom string in your WordPress website? Do you wish there was a way to programmatically insert WPML translations and save yourself hours of tedious work? Well, you’re in luck! In this article, we’ll show you exactly how to do just that.
Why Do I Need to Translate Custom Strings?
As a website owner, you know how important it is to provide a seamless user experience for all your visitors, regardless of their language or location. But, when it comes to custom strings, translation can be a real pain. Custom strings can include anything from plugin settings to theme text, and if you’re not careful, they can be left untranslated, confusing your non-English speaking visitors.
That’s where WPML comes in – a powerful plugin that helps you translate your entire website, including custom strings. But, what if you want to programmatically insert these translations? That’s where things can get a bit tricky.
What is WPML and How Does it Work?
Before we dive into the programming part, let’s quickly cover the basics of WPML. WPML (WordPress Multilingual) is a popular plugin that helps you create a multilingual website. It allows you to translate your website’s content, including pages, posts, menus, and even custom strings.
WPML works by creating a separate version of your website for each language you want to support. It then uses a combination of language codes, translation files, and URL rewriting to deliver the correct content to the right visitors.
How to Programmatically Insert WPML Translation for a Custom String?
Now, let’s get to the good stuff! To programmatically insert WPML translations for a custom string, you’ll need to use the following function:
icl_translate('your_custom_string_here', 'your_domain_here');This function takes two arguments: the custom string you want to translate and the domain where the string is located. For example:
icl_translate('Hello, world!', 'my_theme');This code would translate the string “Hello, world!” into the current language, using the translation file located in the “my_theme” domain.
Registering Your Custom String with WPML
Before you can start using the `icl_translate` function, you need to register your custom string with WPML. You can do this using the `wpml_add_custom_string` function:
wpml_add_custom_string('my_theme', 'custom_strings', 'Hello, world!');This code registers the custom string “Hello, world!” with WPML, under the “my_theme” domain, and assigns it a key of “custom_strings”.
Using the icl_translate Function in Your Code
Now that you’ve registered your custom string, you can start using the `icl_translate` function in your code. For example:
<?php
$string = icl_translate('Hello, world!', 'my_theme');
echo $string;
?>This code would output the translated version of the string “Hello, world!”, using the translation file located in the “my_theme” domain.
Translation Files and Language Codes
When using the `icl_translate` function, WPML looks for a translation file with the same name as the domain you specified. For example, if you used the domain “my_theme”, WPML would look for a file called “my_theme.mo” or “my_theme.po”, depending on the language code.
In the case of the “Hello, world!” example, WPML would look for a translation file called “my_theme-en_US.mo” for English, or “my_theme-fr_FR.mo” for French.
| Language Code | Translation File Name |
|---|---|
| en_US | my_theme-en_US.mo |
| fr_FR | my_theme-fr_FR.mo |
| es_ES | my_theme-es_ES.mo |
Common Scenarios and Solutions
In this section, we’ll cover some common scenarios and solutions when working with programmatically inserted WPML translations for custom strings.
Scenario 1: Translating a Plugin Setting
Let’s say you have a plugin that has a custom setting, and you want to translate the label for that setting. You can use the `icl_translate` function like this:
<?php
$setting_label = icl_translate('My Plugin Setting', 'my_plugin');
echo $setting_label;
?>This code would translate the string “My Plugin Setting” into the current language, using the translation file located in the “my_plugin” domain.
Scenario 2: Translating a Theme Text
Let’s say you have a theme that has a custom text element, and you want to translate the text. You can use the `icl_translate` function like this:
<?php
$text = icl_translate('Welcome to my website', 'my_theme');
echo $text;
?>This code would translate the string “Welcome to my website” into the current language, using the translation file located in the “my_theme” domain.
Scenario 3: Translating a Custom Post Type Label
Let’s say you have a custom post type, and you want to translate the label for that post type. You can use the `icl_translate` function like this:
<?php
$post_type_label = icl_translate('My Custom Post Type', 'my_cpt');
echo $post_type_label;
?>This code would translate the string “My Custom Post Type” into the current language, using the translation file located in the “my_cpt” domain.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve covered the basics of WPML and how to programmatically insert translations for custom strings using the `icl_translate` function. We’ve also covered some common scenarios and solutions for translating plugin settings, theme text, and custom post type labels.
By following these instructions and examples, you should be able to easily translate your custom strings using WPML. Remember to register your custom strings with WPML, and use the correct domain and language codes when using the `icl_translate` function.
With WPML and a little bit of programming magic, you can provide a seamless multilingual experience for your website visitors, and take your website to the next level!
Frequently Asked Question
Wondering how to programmatically insert WPML translations for custom strings? We’ve got you covered!
How do I prepare my custom string for WPML translation?
To prepare your custom string for WPML translation, you need to wrap it in a `wpml_add_config` function. This function allows you to define the string and its context, making it translatable by WPML. For example, you can use the following code: `wpml_add_config(array(‘string_name’ => ‘My Custom String’, ‘context’ => ‘my-theme’));`
What is the `wpml_add_string_translation` function and how do I use it?
The `wpml_add_string_translation` function is used to programmatically insert WPML translations for your custom strings. To use it, you need to pass the string name, language code, and translation as arguments. For example: `wpml_add_string_translation(‘my-custom-string’, ‘fr’, ‘Ma Chaîne Personalisée’);` This will add a French translation for your custom string.
How do I retrieve the translated string using WPML’s `wpml_get_string_translation` function?
To retrieve the translated string, you can use the `wpml_get_string_translation` function. This function takes the string name and language code as arguments and returns the translated string. For example: `$translated_string = wpml_get_string_translation(‘my-custom-string’, ‘fr’);`
Can I use WPML’s `wpml_get_string_translation` function to retrieve translations for multiple languages at once?
Yes, you can use the `wpml_get_string_translation` function to retrieve translations for multiple languages at once. Simply pass an array of language codes as the second argument. For example: `$translated_strings = wpml_get_string_translation(‘my-custom-string’, array(‘fr’, ‘es’, ‘de’));` This will return an array of translated strings for French, Spanish, and German.
What if I need to update or delete an existing WPML translation?
To update or delete an existing WPML translation, you can use the `wpml_update_string_translation` and `wpml_delete_string_translation` functions, respectively. These functions take the string name, language code, and (for update) the new translation as arguments. For example: `wpml_update_string_translation(‘my-custom-string’, ‘fr’, ‘Ma Nouvelle Chaîne Personalisée’);` or `wpml_delete_string_translation(‘my-custom-string’, ‘fr’);`
