This blog post will guide you through the steps to efficiently utilize the Language Detection library in your PHP projects. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced developer, this guide aims to offer a user-friendly approach to implementing language detection in your applications.

What is the Language Detection Library?

This library is designed to detect the language of a given text string. It utilizes the concept of N-grams to analyze and classify the text into different languages. Think of it as teaching a child how to recognize different languages by listening to various sentences. The library learns from training texts and builds a database to perform language detection.

Table of Contents

• Installation with Composer
• How to Upgrade from 3.y.z to 4.y.z?
• Basic Usage
• API
• Method Chaining
• Array Access
• List of Supported Languages
• Other Languages
• FAQ
• Contributing
• License

Installation with Composer

To get started, you should install the library via Composer. Ensure you have the Multibyte String extension enabled in your PHP setup.

bash
$ composer require patrickschurlanguage-detection

How to Upgrade from 3.y.z to 4.y.z?

If you’re using custom directories and translations in version 3.y.z, note that version 4.y.z now uses PHP instead of JSON for resource files. You’ll need to generate new language profiles to upgrade your files.

bash
$ rm resources/*.json

Basic Usage

To identify the language, ensure your input text is lengthy enough to provide context. Here’s how you can use it:

php
use LanguageDetection\Language;
$ld = new Language();
$result = $ld->detect("Mag het een onsje meer zijn?");
print_r($result);

The output will show probabilities for various languages, similar to a school report card illustrating how each student (language) performed.

API Overview

The library’s API offers various methods to customize the detection process:

• __construct(array $result = [], string $dirname = "") – Initialize the detection with specific languages for enhanced performance.
• whitelist(string ...$whitelist) – Specify which languages to include in the analysis.
• blacklist(string ...$blacklist) – Exclude certain languages from results.
• bestResults() – Retrieve the language with the highest detection score.
• limit(int $offset, int $length = null) – Control the number of languages returned.

Method Chaining

You can combine multiple methods to refine your results. For example:

php
$ld->detect("Mag het een onsje meer zijn?")
   ->blacklist(['dk', 'nb', 'de'])
   ->limit(0, 4)
   ->close();

This flexibility allows you to tailor your detection needs like a chef seasoning a dish according to taste.

Array Access

The object can be accessed like an array for straightforward data retrieval:

php
$object = $ld->detect("Das ist ein Test");
echo $object['de']; // Output for German language

Supported Languages

The library can detect up to 110 languages, providing a broad range for inclusion in your projects. For a deeper understanding, refer to the supported languages documentation.

Other Languages

If you need support for languages not included, you can create and add your training text files to improve detection.

php
$t->learn(YOUR_PATH_HERE);

FAQ

How can I improve the detection phase?

Consider using more n-grams, but remember it may slow down the process. Training with around 9,000 n-grams improves accuracy:

php
$t->setMaxNgrams(9000);
$t->learn();

Is the detection process slower if language files are very big?

No, the trainer will only utilize the top 310 n-grams, keeping detection performance stable.

Contributing

We welcome contributions to enhance the library! Your efforts can aid many developers in language detection endeavors.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT license, ensuring freedom to share and modify.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues, consider the following tips:

• Ensure the Multibyte String extension is installed and enabled.
• Check if your training files are formatted correctly.
• Verify your PHP version aligns with the library requirements.

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At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.