Google Language and Dynamic URLS

[Monark]

One of the greatest things about the internet is the international audience. One the weakest links is the adoption of language translation. So I set out to fix this for one of my websites.

I was able to modify the translate website frame on Google to place this into a website. I was able to remove the text field by manually entering the url inside the code. The result is nothing more then a drop down list with a submit button. Very clean and easy to use. It is an on-page "complete" Google Translate tool! Upon clicking submit it works.

However, I don't want to have to change this on every page if I can avoid it. Is there a javascript that can enter the current page url into the value of a form tag? from what I can tell it must go into the exact feild that has <input type="hidden" name="u" value="INSERT URL HERE" />

Thanks for your help if you can!!!!!

Disclaimer: I do not know any java, so assume I know nothing about where to place the parts. can you provide a complete code solution? I am trying to be xhtml valid, thanks!

Here is the code: please fell free to do with it what you want

<!--begin translation, insert into body where you want it to show -->

<table width="100%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="0" align="left">
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td>
<form name="translateForm" target="_translate" action="http://www.google.com/translate?u=" method="get">
<table>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td><form name="translateForm" form action="http://www.google.com/translate?" >
<input type="hidden" name="u" value="INSERT URL HERE" />
<select name="langpair">
<option value="en|de" selected="selected">English to German</option>
<option value="en|es">English to Spanish</option>
<option value="en|fr">English to French</option>
<option value="en|it">English to Italian</option>
<option value="en|pt">English to Portuguese</option>
<option value="en|ar">English to Arabic</option>
<option value="en|ja">English to Japanese</option>
<option value="en|ko">English to Korean</option>
<option value="en|zh-CN">English to Chinese&nbsp;(Simple)</option>
<option value="de|en">German to English</option>
<option value="de|fr">German to French</option>
<option value="es|en">Spanish to English</option>
<option value="fr|en">French to English</option>
<option value="fr|de">French to German</option>
<option value="it|en">Italian to English</option>
<option value="pt|en">Portuguese to English</option>
<option value="ar|en">Arabic to English/option>
<option value="ja|en">Japanese to English</option>
<option value="ko|en">Korean to English</option>
<option value="zh-CN|en">Chinese&nbsp;(Simple) to English</option>
</select>
<input type="hidden" name="hl" value="en" />
<input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF8" />
<br />
<input type="submit" value="Translate" />
</form>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>
</td>
</tr>
</table>

<!-- end translation-->

[Twey]

I am trying to be xhtml valid, thanks!

Remove that outer form, then. I'm sure nested forms aren't valid.

<form name="translateForm" form action="http://www.google.com/translate" onsubmit="this.elements.u.value = window.location.href;">

Remember, though, that this is a temporary measure until you can change each page individually. It is a nowhere near as good a solution, since it requires scripting support.

[Monark]

Twey,

I knew this would be simple but I have to tell you that what I little code there was took me about 23 hours to get figured out.

I come from a WYSIWYG user side world. This has been one of the most educational and frustrating ideas of my life.

Thanks for your help!

Mark

[Monark]

Is it possible to simplify this by removing the submit button and simply making it a onselect event?

This is what I have now.. Thanks again for your wonderful help! - Mark

<table align="left">
<form name="translateForm" form action="http://www.google.com/translate" onsubmit="this.elements.u.value = window.location.href;">
<input type="hidden" name="u" value="" />
<select name="langpair">
<option value="" selected="selected">Translate</option>
<option value="en|it">Italian</option>
<option value="en|de">German</option>
<option value="en|es">Spanish</option>
<option value="en|fr">French</option>
<option value="en|pt">Portuguese</option>
<option value="en|ar">Arabic</option>
<option value="en|ja">Japanese</option>
<option value="en|ko">Korean</option>
<option value="en|zh-CN">Chinese (S)</option>
</select>
<input type="hidden" name="hl" value="en" />
<input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF8" />
<br />
<input type="submit" value="Translate" />
</form>
</table>

[Twey]

<table align="left">
<form name="translateForm" action="http://www.google.com/translate" onsubmit="this.elements.u.value = window.location.href;">
<input type="hidden" name="u" value="" />
<select name="langpair" onchange="this.form.submit()">
<option value="" selected="selected">Translate</option>
<option value="en|it">Italian</option>
<option value="en|de">German</option>
<option value="en|es">Spanish</option>
<option value="en|fr">French</option>
<option value="en|pt">Portuguese</option>
<option value="en|ar">Arabic</option>
<option value="en|ja">Japanese</option>
<option value="en|ko">Korean</option>
<option value="en|zh-CN">Chinese (S)</option>
</select>
<input type="hidden" name="hl" value="en" />
<input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF8" />
<br />
<input type="submit" value="Translate" name="sub" />
</form>
<script type="text/javascript">
document.forms['translateForm'].elements['sub'].style.display = "none";
</script>
</table>

[Monark]

Twey,

This unfortuntely does not work. It generates a url of http://www.google.com/translate_t

It does not grab the page info, that langpair has been getting my goat for a while.

You can see how it works on code-of-ethics dot org, keep in mind the site changes often as I am still hammering out design and other scripts.

Thanks!

Mark

[Twey]

Really? I see no reason why it would...

[Monark]

Twey,

Not to be pushy but, does that mean this is something you wish to pursue or is this dead?

Regards,

Mark

[Twey]

No, no, I haven't given up on you An URL would be nice though.

[Monark]

Twey,

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I am trying to keep the spiders from finding the web site at this point, so I broke the URL apart. The url is www dot code-of-ethics dot org

Kindest Regards,

Mark