Translate texts from FileMaker with Google Translate or deepl.com

Generic Script for the translation

First, we create a script that accepts the source language, target language and the text to be translated via three parameters and sends them to the interface accordingly. In our example, the parameters are separated by line breaks (CR). If you want to send texts with line separators to the interface, use a different separator for the parameters, such as an apostrophe. In this case, do not use the function GetValue ()but another (custom) function that splits the string with your separator. In our example, we call the script "ts.Translate". In the first step, the transferred parameters are each converted into a Variable written.

The script can be called from other scripts as follows:

Execute script [ Specified: From list ; "ts.Translate"; Parameter: ""DE¶EN¶Hello World" ]

Overview of the "ts.Translate" script

Passing the script parameters

Set variable [ $quellsprache ; Value: GetValue(Get(ScriptParameter); 1) ]
Set variable [ $argetLanguage ; Value: GetValue(Get(ScriptParameter); 2) ]
Set variable [ $quelltext ; Value: GetValue(Get(ScriptParameter); 3) ] 

The variables 1TP4Source language and $arget language contain the ISO code of the respective language, e.g. DE or EN.

Set variable for the API key

Set variable [ $api_key ; Value: "hJghjjHJHGjkhjKJgÖLkjjjhlkHkjFJKGkjjhlÄf" ] 

An authentication key is required to use both the Google Cloud Translation API and the DeepL API. This can be retrieved in the administration area of the respective API.

Call API URL

Google Cloud Translation API

Set variable [ $_url ; Value: "https://www.googleapis.com/language/translate/v2?key=" & $api_key & "&q=" & ReadAsURLEncrypted ($source text) & "&source=" & $source language & "&target=" & $target language ] 

DeepL API

Set variable [ $_url ; Value: "https://api.deepl.com/v2/translate?auth_key=" & $api_key & "&source_lang=" & $source_lang & "&target_lang=" & $target_lang & "&text=" & ReadAsURLEncrypted ($source_text) ] 

Depending on which provider is to be used, the corresponding script line must be used here. In the variable $_url, the URL that is to be called up for the translation is generated first. The server address is followed by all other values that were saved in the previously defined variables:

• $api_key (Authentication key of the API)
• $source_long (source language as ISO code)
• $target_long (target language as ISO code)
• 1TP4Source text (Passed text, is passed with the function ReadAsURLEncrypted in the URL to avoid sending real line breaks etc.)

Insert from URL [ Selection ; With dialog: Off ; $url_result ; $_url ] 

This command calls the URL and saves the result in the variable $url_result.

Read out result and error query

First, the system checks whether the result returned via the URL contains the term "errors". If so, a corresponding error dialog should appear, which contains the variables $_url and $url_result in the text.

When [ PatternNumber ( $url_result ; "errors" ) ] 

     Display your own dialog box [ "Error occurred" ; $_url & ", " & $url_result ]

Otherwise

     Set variable [ $_message_target ; Value:

     SetVar ( [
     Text = $url_result ;
     StartTag = "\"text\":\"" ;
     EndTag = "\"}]}" ;
     StartPos = Position ( Text ; StartTag ; 1 ; 1 ) ;
     StartPos = StartPos + Length ( StartTag ) ;
     EndPos = Position ( Text ; EndTag ; StartPos ; 1 ) ;
     LengthToKeep = EndPos - StartPos ;
     Result = CharacterCenter ( Text ; StartPos ; LengthToKeep ) ] ;
     Result & If(PatternNumber(Result; "|") > 0; "|")
     )

Filtering of HTML entities

If the returned text contains HTML entities, these can be removed with a Custom Function can be filtered out. In this example, we use the function HTMLencoded2Textwhich is freely available.

     When [ PatternNumber ( $_message_target ; "&#" ) ] 

          Set variable [ $_message_target ; Value: HTMLencoded2Text ( $_message_target ) ] 

     End (if)

End (if)

Exit script and deliver result

The following command exits the script and returns the result that is displayed in the parent script after execution with the command Get(ScriptResult) can be read out.

Exit current script [ Text result: $_message_target ] 

Separation of several text values with a separator

Using the interfaces, it is also possible to assign a separator to several words to be translated in order to enter them later in different variables or fields in a structured manner. With the DeepL API, for example, an apostrophe can easily be used as a separator, while with Google Translate we were able to successfully implement a separator with one or two underscores.