We use something similar to the following
define('DEFAULT_LANG_ID', 'en');
function getLanguageId() {
// Allow for language id override in $_GET, $_POST and $_COOKIE
$req_lang_id = $_REQUEST['lang_id'];
// Retrieve the one stored in the session if any
$sess_lang_id = $_SESSION['lang_id'];
// $lang_id will contain the lang id retrieved from request (overrides
session),
// or from session or a default one
$lang_id = isset($req_lang_id) ? $req_lang_id : (isset($sess_lang_id) ?
$sess_lang_id : DEFAULT_LANG_ID);
// Save it for next time
$_SESSION['lang_id'] = $lang_id;
return $lang_id;
}
Rob
Andrés Robinet | Lead Developer | BESTPLACE CORPORATION
5100 Bayview Drive 206, Royal Lauderdale Landings, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
| TEL 954-607-4207 | FAX 954-337-2695
Email: info@xxxxxxxxxxxxx | MSN Chat: best@xxxxxxxxxxxxx | SKYPE:
bestplace | Web: http://www.bestplace.biz | Web: http://www.seo-diy.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jason Pruim [mailto:japruim@xxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 11:15 AM
> To: Jeff Benetti
> Cc: php-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Newbie asks about multi-lingual website strategies
>
>
> On Nov 27, 2007, at 8:37 AM, Jeff Benetti wrote:
>
> > I'm a noob so keep the comments to a noob's level please.
> >
> > I am doing a website and my client wants the bulk of the text to be
> > bilingual (French and English). The last site I did used php and
> > mysql so I
> > am getting comfortable with that technology. Typically I am using a
> > single
> > php file and my menu constantly points to the same file with
> > different id
> > options example "index.php?id=30" and I want to use the same idea to
> > choose
> > a language example "index.php?lang=fr&id=30". Pretty straight
> > forward for
> > many of you folks but before I start reinventing the wheel I
> > wondered if
> > anyone could offer any suggestions. I have a couple of approaches
> > in mind.
> >
>
> I'm actually in the process of planning this as well... English and
> Spanish...
>
> > 1: Session vars, I have never used this but it seems straight
> forward.
> > Drawbacks?
>
> Sessions are easy enough to use, just make sure that you are setting
> the variable in the right place... On a site I did the stored variable
> was always 1 behind what I wanted it to be... I moved the setting of
> the variable, and it worked :)
> >
> > 2: Cookies again not too big a deal, never used cookies either but it
> > doesn't seem to be mystifying however the fact that the user can turn
> > cookies off makes me not want to go this route.
> > 3: Use the mysql database and log each ip address and record the
> > preference
> > and maybe the last time on the site. I am leaning in this direction
> > because
> > I think it is the most robust but will it be slow? First I have to
> > get the
> > ip then I have to check to see if it is in my data base and then get
> > the
> > language preference. It would be great to have a standardized
> > function that
> > I could use on all of my sites. I live in a bilingual country
> > (Canada) so
> > this could be a real selling point for my services.
>
> I don't know much about using mysql for storing IP's in canada... But
> in the US, all IP's except for businesses are dynamic, they could
> change every time a user would go to a site.. I could see that causing
> issues...
>
> >
> >
> > Any any and all comments are welcome, it will be a learning curve no
> > matter
> > which route I take so a little advice on the best direction pros
> > cons would
> > be great.
> >
> > And of course knowing that I will have many many thousands of people
> > on my
> > site (hee hee) which option will perform best once I start
> > accumulating
> > vistors. That's one problem I see with the mysql solution, I think
> > it may
> > start to be slow unless I start purging vistors who have not shown
> > up in a
> > while or limit the number of entries.
>
> I'm currently planning to store the text of the pages on my site in a
> database, so that I can very easily just change the language
> preference, and get the english, or spanish out of the database. I
> also think it will help speed up the site for when I have my thousands
> of users a second :)
>
> When you start doing it, let me know your experiences... I plan to
> actually start coding (If me and the site owner can see eye to eye on
> some stuff...) in january.
>
>
> --
>
> Jason Pruim
> Raoset Inc.
> Technology Manager
> MQC Specialist
> 3251 132nd ave
> Holland, MI, 49424
> www.raoset.com
> japruim@xxxxxxxxxx
>
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