PHP for parsing HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE

PHP for parsing HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE

Code Solution

<?php

// Get the HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE header.
$acceptLanguage = $_SERVER['HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE'];

// Split the header into an array of language codes.
$languages = explode(',', $acceptLanguage);

// Loop through the language codes and find the first one that is supported.
$supportedLanguages = array('en', 'es', 'fr');
$language = null;
foreach ($languages as $languageCode) {
  if (in_array($languageCode, $supportedLanguages)) {
    $language = $languageCode;
    break;
  }
}

// If no supported language was found, use the default language.
if (!$language) {
  $language = 'en';
}

// Set the language in the response header.
header('Content-Language: ' . $language);

?>

Explanation

The HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE header is a request header that contains a list of the languages that the user’s browser can understand. The header is used by web servers to select the language of the response.

The PHP code above parses the HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE header and selects the first supported language. If no supported language is found, the default language is used.

The code uses the explode() function to split the header into an array of language codes. The in_array() function is then used to check if each language code is supported. If a supported language is found, it is assigned to the $language variable.

Once the language has been selected, it is set in the Content-Language response header. This tells the user’s browser the language of the response.

How to Implement Effectively

The code above can be implemented effectively by following these tips:

  • Use a list of supported languages. This will help you to avoid serving responses in languages that your application does not support.
  • Cache the language setting. This will improve the performance of your application by avoiding the need to parse the HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE header on every request.
  • Use a content negotiation library. This will make it easier to handle content negotiation in your application.

By following these tips, you can implement the code above effectively and improve the user experience of your application.