Language select

Anon

Hi,

Ive created a listbox that allows the user to select whether they would like to view to the the site in English or Spanish.

This listbox exists in an include file which controls the overall style of each page. I have managed to get the listbox to work by using the following code:

echo("<form name='langselect' action=$PHP_SELF>");
echo("Select Language: ");
echo("<select name='lang' >");
echo("<option value='English' selected>English</option>");
echo("<option value='Spanish'>Spanish </option>");
echo("</select>");
echo("<input type='submit' name='Go' value='Go' >");

Now this refreshes the page and the url becomes - http://www.something.com/index.php?lang=Spanish&Go=Go

I can then grab the value of $lang from the url using $HTTP_GET_VARS['lang'] and use it to display the correct content for that page in the language chosen.

However, some pages already pass variables through the url and when the user selects a different language for that page then those variables are overwritten.

i.e. a url such as http://www.something.com/index.php?var=2
becomes
http://www.something.com/index.php?lang=Spanish&Go=Go

Is there a way to append the $lang variable to the url instead of overwriting existing variables?

Should i be storing the $lang as a session variable instead? (i am having header problems)

Your help is greatly appreciated.

pnoeric

vivian - usually the way to deal with this kind of problem is to put the variable you want carried in the form on the html page, then it will go back into the url along with the rest of the form variables on the way out

see?

best
eric

Anon

Thank you for your response Eric however this doesnt solve my problem. The variable is being passed along but it is overwriting existing variables.

The thing is, the form with the language listbox exists in an include file. The page that calls this include file already has variables passed into it. So when the form in the include file is submitted, its variables overwrite the variables that already exist.

I hope that makes sense.
I am looking at saving this language information as a session variable.

So, when the language is selected from the listbox and the user clicks on the 'Go' button, I want the language chosen to be saved as a session and then the whole page refreshes to show the new page (with all its include files) in the new language.

Does anyone have any idea how to do this?

How do i assign a PHP variable to the selectedIndex of a listbox?

When I try:

$selected_language = $lang;

it doesnt work.

pnoeric

not entirely wsure I'm following here, but I think I am.

can't you just change the name of the variable in the include file, so in effect you're passing "local" variables? then your php code can copy that variable to wherever you want it.

i'm not sure I entirely understand where things are being overwritten. can you post a very, very simplified version of your code?

thanks
eric