Google translate, placeholder text in input type='text'

Question

Problem translating placeholder text in input type="text"

This is my sample code:

Html:

<div id="google_translate_element" style="float:left; padding-left:15px"></div>


<!-- Need to translate this placeholder text -->

<form><input type="text" placeholder= "Enter your name" />
<input type="submit" value="Submit" />
</form>

JavaScipt:

<script type="text/javascript">
function googleTranslateElementInit() {
        new google.translate.TranslateElement({pageLanguage: 'en', includedLanguages: 'ca,da,de,el,en,es,fr,it,ja,ko,nl,pl,pt,ru,sv,tl', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.SIMPLE}, 'google_translate_element');
}
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//translate.google.com/translate_a/element.js?cb=googleTranslateElementInit"></script>

CSS:

<style>
div#google_translate_element div.goog-te-gadget-simple{background-color:green;}
    div#google_translate_element div.goog-te-gadget-simple a.goog-te-menu-value span{color:yellow}

    div#google_translate_element div.goog-te-gadget-simple a.goog-te-menu-value span:hover{color:#ffffff}
</style>

translater example is in

JSFiddle:

http://jsfiddle.net/ulak/zDUYL/

Please mention any other way to translate placeholder text using google translate

Solution 1

As stated in previous answers, Google Translate does not translate placeholders.

I found this javascript solution and it does work.

http://gamon.org/blog/2015/03/12/translate-placeholders-with-google-translate-widget/

JSfiddle demo here:

// Find all placeholders
var placeholders = document.querySelectorAll('input[placeholder]');

if (placeholders.length) {
     // convert to array
    placeholders = Array.prototype.slice.call(placeholders);

    // copy placeholder text to a hidden div
    var div = $('<div id="placeholders" style="display:none;"></div>');

    placeholders.forEach(function(input){
      var text = input.placeholder;
      div.append('<div>' + text + '</div>');    
    });

    $('body').append(div);

    // save the first placeholder in a closure
    var originalPH = placeholders[0].placeholder;

    // check for changes and update as needed
    setInterval(function(){
      if (isTranslated()) {
        updatePlaceholders();
        originalPH = placeholders[0].placeholder;
      }
    }, 500);

    // hoisted ---------------------------
    function isTranslated() { // true if the text has been translated
       var currentPH = $($('#placeholders > div')[0]).text();
       return !(originalPH == currentPH);
    }

    function updatePlaceholders() {
      $('#placeholders > div').each(function(i, div){
        placeholders[i].placeholder = $(div).text();
      });
    }
}

Solution 2

As long as Google Translate does not want to translate a placeholder attribute (and they suggest no way to ask for it), the answer is “you can’t”.

As a workaround, you could put the placeholder text into a normal element, say a label element, and then, with JavaScript, after translation copy its content into a placeholder attribute and delete the normal element.

However, it is much better to avoid creating the problem and simply use a label element instead of the placeholder attribute in a situation where you would use the latter in the rôle of a label – against the HTML5 CR which clearly says: “The placeholder attribute should not be used as a replacement for a label.”. So simply use normal markup and have it normally (mis)translated by Google:

<label for=name>Your name:</label> <input type="text" id=name>