How to use PHP to develop an online dictionary to provide convenient translation services

With the diversification of globalization and the development of the Internet, language communication has become more and more important. Compared with traditional paper dictionaries, online dictionaries on the Internet are undoubtedly more convenient and practical. In this article, we will introduce how to use PHP to develop an online dictionary to provide convenient translation services.

1. Design the database

The first step in developing an online dictionary is to design the database. In this case, we will use a simple MySQL database. Two tables need to be created: one to store words and another to store translations. Here is a simple example:

Word list:

word_id (word number)
word (word)
definition (definition)

Translation table:

translation_id (translation number)
word_id (word number)
language (translation language)
translation (translation)

2. Create PHP page

Next, we need to create a PHP page to display the online dictionary interface and process user input. The page should contain a search box where the user can enter the word they are looking for. When the user submits a request, the page should retrieve the corresponding word from the database and display it to the user.

The following is the basic structure of the page:

//retrieve word from database
//display word and translation

?> ;

The above is a simple framework, you can freely add styles and other functions to improve the design effect and user experience.

3. Querying the database

In PHP, querying the database is a very important step. We need to write a SQL query to retrieve the words entered by the user. Fuzzy queries can be implemented using MySQL's LIKE operator. The following is a simple example:

$word = $_POST['word']; //get user input
$sql = "SELECT * FROM word WHERE word LIKE '$word%'";

After executing this statement, all words starting with the word entered by the user in the word library will be returned, so the results need to be processed.

4. Display search results

After collecting the words entered by the user, you need to display the words and their translations. This part needs to be processed according to the query results and the corresponding translation list is displayed. Here is an example:

if(mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0){

while($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)){
    //display word and translation
}

}else{

echo "Sorry, no results found";

}

Use mysqli_num_rows( ) function to check if there are search results, and use the mysqli_fetch_assoc() function to fetch data rows from the result set. If there are no results, an error message is displayed to the user.

5. Provide translation services

After establishing the search function, we can consider expanding our online dictionary and adding translation services. Users can enter sentences or words that need to be translated and select the language that needs to be translated.

In our database table, by modifying the "Language" field of the translation table, translations in multiple languages ​​can be stored. However, we need to provide a corresponding translation API for each language and integrate it into our application.

For this, we can use public translation APIs such as Google Translate API or Baidu Translate API. Simply send a request to these APIs to translate user-entered text into any target language. Using the API requires certain billing, which can be chosen based on specific circumstances.

Finally, we need to deploy the dictionary application to a server for users to access. You can use the Apache server or Nginx server to upload the PHP file to the main directory of the website, and enter the URL in the browser to access the dictionary application.

Summary

In this article, we introduced how to use PHP to develop an online dictionary and add a translation service function to it. Whether students, teachers or business personnel, everyone can benefit from it. Online dictionaries can be used to assist classroom teaching, business negotiations or private study. The dictionary can be further customized and its functions expanded according to needs and actual conditions.

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