Split text in field into two boxes

Report · Aug 10, 2011

Hiya

I am setting up a bi-lingual website where the left hand column is in English and the matching right hand column is in French.

Is there a way to use ONE field from the database and split the information like this:

English Text

</special tag here around English>

French Text

</special tag here around French>

Any ideas?

Report · Aug 10, 2011

What exactly is contained in the one database field?

Report · Aug 10, 2011

The text for the web page. So details about the school (in French first). Then the same text translated into English.

I know adding another column to the DB would be easier on the page, but as I am making the changes to a Wordpress blog it would be a nightmare to coordinate the different versions of the page in both French and English.

All I really need is to make this schematic work:

if ( $frenchTag . $the_Text_in_French . $endFrenchTag ) { echo $the_Text_in_French } // this goes in the french text box

if ( $englishTag . $the_Text_in_English . $endEnglishTag ) { echo $the_Text_in_English } // this goes in the english text box

I know the sytax is all over the place, but that is what I need help with please!

Report · Aug 11, 2011

Cludgy way:

Fill your field as follows [En francais#&&#In English] - i.e. #&&# is unlikely to be input elsewhere as normal text, then use

explode:

$fieldtext = explode('#&&#', yourfield);

In the French box: echo $fieldtext(0);

In the English box: echo $fieldtext(1);

Better way:

Use preg_replace or preg_split (but you will have to ask someone more experienced than me to help you with the regular expression!)

Report · Aug 11, 2011

Hiya,

Thanks for your help. I had no idea this is what expode did! I have tried this on a test page, but get an error saying:

Fatal error: Function name must be a string in /content/HostingPlus/w/a/waltoncreative.com/web/LeHerisson/test.php on line 55

This is the script: (using -999- to separate the French / English)

<?php $fieldtext = explode('-999-', $row_ToSeparateText['test_Text']); ?>

All of the text

<?php echo($row_ToSeparateText['test_Text']); ?>

<hr />

French Text <?php echo $fieldtext(1); ?> <<<< this is line 55

<hr />

English Text <?php echo $fieldtext(0); ?>

But this is what I get on screen:

All of the text
This is a nice long chunk of text to see if I can split it up with a character that looks like this.-999-Cette est une petite sample des mots pour le teste.

French Text

Fatal error: Function name must be a string in /content/HostingPlus/w/a/waltoncreative.com/web/LeHerisson/test.php on line 55

The character is in the field, so what have I missed?

Report · Aug 11, 2011

I found the answer - the echo numbers needed SQUARE brackets:

So this works:

<?php $fieldtext = explode('-999-', $row_ToSeparateText['test_Text']); ?>

All of the text

<?php echo($row_ToSeparateText['test_Text']); ?>

<hr />

French Text <?php echo $fieldtext[1]; ?>

<hr />

English Text <?php echo $fieldtext[0]; ?>

Thanks for your help

Report · Aug 12, 2011

Sorry Colin, I must have been rushing when I used the wrong brackets! Glad it worked for you.

Ed

Report · Aug 10, 2011

You could, but it's asking for trouble.

If you will forever be only bilingual (and not multilingual) you could add a field (column) and have English in one, French in the other. If you will ever be going multilingual then add a field to identify the language (language_id or whatever) and a new record (row) for each entry. In either case you will need to deal with blank/missing entries.

Ed