To translate a navigation menu using WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin), you can use the wp_nav_menu_items filter hook along with the icl_get_languages function provided by WPML. This allows you to modify the navigation menu items based on the current language.
Here’s an example code snippet that demonstrates how to translate a navigation menu using WPML:
function wpsnippets_translate_menu_items($items, $args) {
// Check if WPML is active
if (function_exists('icl_get_languages')) {
// Get the current language
$current_language = ICL_LANGUAGE_CODE;
// Get all available languages
$languages = icl_get_languages('skip_missing=0');
// Loop through each menu item
foreach ($items as $item) {
// Get the translated version of the menu item
$translated_item = apply_filters('wpml_object_id', $item->object_id, 'nav_menu_item', TRUE, $languages[$current_language]['language_code']);
// If a translated version exists, replace the original menu item with the translated one
if ($translated_item != $item->object_id) {
$item->object_id = $translated_item;
}
}
}
return $items;
}
add_filter('wp_nav_menu_objects', 'wpsnippets_translate_menu_items', 10, 2);
This code snippet hooks into the wp_nav_menu_objects filter and checks if WPML is active. It then retrieves the current language and all available languages using the icl_get_languages function. Next, it loops through each menu item and uses the wpml_object_id filter to get the translated version of the menu item. If a translated version exists, it replaces the original menu item with the translated one.
This code snippet can be useful when you have a multilingual website and want to display a translated version of the navigation menu based on the current language. It ensures that the correct menu items are displayed to users based on their language preference.
Examples
Example 1: Translate Navigation Menu using WPML
This example demonstrates how to translate a navigation menu using WPML. The code snippet retrieves the menu items for a specific menu location and displays them in the current language.
function wpsnippets_translate_navigation_menu() {
if ( function_exists( 'wp_nav_menu' ) ) {
$menu_location = 'primary'; // Replace with your menu location slug
$menu_items = wp_get_nav_menu_items( $menu_location );
if ( $menu_items ) {
foreach ( $menu_items as $menu_item ) {
$translated_menu_item = apply_filters( 'wpml_object_id', $menu_item->ID, 'nav_menu_item' );
echo '<li><a href="' . esc_url( get_permalink( $translated_menu_item ) ) . '">' . esc_html( $menu_item->title ) . '</a></li>';
}
}
}
}
This code retrieves the menu items for a specific menu location using wp_get_nav_menu_items(). It then loops through each menu item and uses the wpml_object_id filter to get the translated menu item ID. Finally, it displays the translated menu item title and URL.
Example 2: Translate Navigation Menu with Custom Walker
This example demonstrates how to translate a navigation menu using a custom walker class. The code snippet extends the Walker_Nav_Menu class and overrides the start_el() method to display the translated menu item.
class WPSnippets_Translated_Menu_Walker extends Walker_Nav_Menu {
function start_el( &$output, $item, $depth = 0, $args = array(), $id = 0 ) {
$translated_menu_item = apply_filters( 'wpml_object_id', $item->ID, 'nav_menu_item' );
$output .= '<li><a href="' . esc_url( get_permalink( $translated_menu_item ) ) . '">' . esc_html( $item->title ) . '</a></li>';
}
}
// Usage: wp_nav_menu( array( 'walker' => new WPSnippets_Translated_Menu_Walker() ) );
This code defines a custom walker class WPSnippets_Translated_Menu_Walker that extends the Walker_Nav_Menu class. It overrides the start_el() method to retrieve the translated menu item ID using wpml_object_id filter and display the translated menu item.
Example 3: Translate Navigation Menu with Polylang
This example demonstrates how to translate a navigation menu using Polylang plugin. The code snippet retrieves the menu items for a specific menu location and displays them in the current language.
function wpsnippets_translate_navigation_menu() {
if ( function_exists( 'pll_current_language' ) ) {
$menu_location = 'primary'; // Replace with your menu location slug
$menu_items = wp_get_nav_menu_items( $menu_location );
if ( $menu_items ) {
foreach ( $menu_items as $menu_item ) {
$translated_menu_item = pll_get_post( $menu_item->ID );
echo '<li><a href="' . esc_url( get_permalink( $translated_menu_item ) ) . '">' . esc_html( $menu_item->title ) . '</a></li>';
}
}
}
}
This code retrieves the menu items for a specific menu location using wp_get_nav_menu_items(). It then loops through each menu item and uses pll_get_post() function to get the translated menu item ID. Finally, it displays the translated menu item title and URL.