Introducing the GTranslate Bundle

Source: Dev.to

“Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.” – Rita Mae Brown

Introduction

In today’s global web, multilingual accessibility isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. Translating content in modern frameworks can be time‑consuming, especially when you want fast results without dealing with complex APIs or translation files.

The AddWeb GTranslate Bundle provides a lightweight, plug‑and‑play integration of the GTranslate.io widget for Symfony developers, enabling instant multilingual support directly from Twig templates.

What is the GTranslate Bundle?

The addweb/gtranslate-bundle is a Symfony 6.4+/7.x‑compatible module that:

• Integrates the AI‑powered GTranslate.io widget.
• Exposes a Twig function {{ gtranslate_widget() }} to render a customizable translation widget.
• Uses simple YAML configuration for supported languages, default language, and UI preferences.
• Injects optimized JavaScript for instant language switching without backend complexity.

Installation

composer require addweb/gtranslate-bundle

Basic Usage

Add the widget anywhere in your Twig layout:

{{ gtranslate_widget() }}

Why Does It Matter?

• User Preference: 65 % of users prefer content in their own language, even if the translation quality is lower. (CSA Research)
• Conversion Impact: 40 % won’t purchase from sites in other languages.
• Engagement Boost: Multilingual sites see up to 50 % longer session durations.
• SEO Benefits: Sites with multilingual support rank 23 % higher in Google’s international search results.

These statistics show that language accessibility directly influences engagement, trust, and revenue.

How It Works

1. Installation via Composer.
2. Symfony Flex automatically creates config/packages/gtranslate.yaml.
3. The bundle registers the Twig function globally.
4. When {{ gtranslate_widget() }} is rendered, the bundle injects the required HTML and JavaScript for the floating widget.
5. Configuration changes are applied instantly—no cache clear or rebuild needed.

Default Behavior – Instant Setup

After installing:

composer require addweb/gtranslate-bundle

Symfony Flex adds:

# config/packages/gtranslate.yaml
# (generated automatically)

You can now place the widget anywhere:

{{ gtranslate_widget() }}

The widget appears as a floating GTranslate control with default settings.

Customizing the Widget

Modify config/packages/gtranslate.yaml to suit your design:

gtranslate:
  script_src: 'https://cdn.gtranslate.net/widgets/latest/dwf.js'
  auto_wrapper: true
  settings:
    default_language: 'en'
    languages: ['en', 'fr', 'it', 'es']
    wrapper_selector: '.gtranslate_wrapper'
    switcher_horizontal_position: 'right'
    switcher_vertical_position: 'top'

Customization options

• Add or remove supported languages.
• Change widget colors and positions.
• Choose between floating or embedded widget.
• Disable the automatic wrapper and place the switcher manually.

Manual Placement Example

Render the widget inside a specific container:

{{ gtranslate_widget({ auto_wrapper: false }) }}

Add your own CSS to style the container as needed.

Stats

• Multilingual websites experience up to 50 % increase in average session duration.
  • Source: Weglot Blog
• 14 % higher conversion rates on multilingual landing pages.
  • Source: Landingi
• Over 7 in 10 consumers are more likely to engage with brands speaking their language.
  • Source: CSA Research

Key Takeaways

• Zero configuration overhead: Install, configure YAML, and the widget works.
• Supports 100+ languages via GTranslate.io.
• No local translation files or databases required.
• Fully extensible and open‑source – contributions welcome.

Interesting Facts

• The internet hosts content in more than 7,000 languages.
  • Source: Ethnologue
• AI translation accuracy has improved to over 92 % since 2018, thanks to neural models.
  • Source: Google Research
• GTranslate.io currently supports over 100 languages, one of the widest coverages available.
  • Source: GTranslate.io
• Websites using GTranslate widgets load 1.8× faster than those with full i18n setups and translation catalogs.

FAQs

Q1: How is this different from the Symfony Translation Component?
A: The bundle provides instant, client‑side translation via GTranslate.io, eliminating the need for translation files, message catalogs, and backend locale handling.

Q2: Does it need a GTranslate API key?
A: No. The widget works out‑of‑the‑box using the public GTranslate script.

Q3: Is it compatible with Twig themes?
A: Yes. The {{ gtranslate_widget() }} function can be placed in any Twig template.

Q4: Can I customize the widget’s position or color?
A: Absolutely. Adjust the settings section in gtranslate.yaml or apply custom CSS when using manual placement.

“Translation is that which transforms everything so that nothing changes.” – Günter Grass

Conclusion

The AddWeb GTranslate Bundle bridges your Symfony application with a global audience, delivering multilingual support with minimal effort. Explore the package on Packagist and contribute via GitHub:

• Packagist: addweb/gtranslate-bundle
• GitHub: