How to use google translator app

Question

I coded program about dictionary sentence and I want to have function to go to "google translator" application in my app

How can I use it , Should I import anything?

Answer 1

The Google Translate activity names tend to change over time which makes the code fragile if you hardcode them.

Here is an approach that works with the current version of google translate and will likely keep working with future updates (as long as the package name stays the same):

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.M) {
    for (ResolveInfo resolveInfo : getPackageManager().queryIntentActivities(new Intent().setAction(Intent.ACTION_PROCESS_TEXT).setType("text/plain"), 0)) {
        if (resolveInfo.activityInfo.packageName.equals("com.google.android.apps.translate")) {
            String activityName = resolveInfo.activityInfo.name;
            String packageName = resolveInfo.activityInfo.packageName;

            Intent intent = new Intent().setPackage(packageName)
                    .setClassName(packageName, activityName)
                    .setAction(Intent.ACTION_PROCESS_TEXT)
                    .setType("text/plain")
                    .putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_PROCESS_TEXT, "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!")
                    .putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_PROCESS_TEXT_READONLY, true);

            startActivity(intent);
        }
    }
} else {
    // >>> deprecated code from other answers goes here <<<
}

Answer 2

Phi Van Ngoc's answer was fantastic, thanks for that.

However it didn't work initially for me and after investigating the Translate apk, it looks like they've modified their file structure slightly, so the intent ComponentName should now be:

i.setComponent(
    new ComponentName(
        "com.google.android.apps.translate",
        "com.google.android.apps.translate.translation.TranslateActivity"));

The difference is that "translation" has been added before "TranslateActivity"

So my final version, including hard-coded translation from Spanish to English, is:

Intent i = new Intent();
i.setAction(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
i.putExtra("key_text_input", "Me gusta la cerveza");
i.putExtra("key_text_output", "");
i.putExtra("key_language_from", "es");
i.putExtra("key_language_to", "en");
i.putExtra("key_suggest_translation", "");
i.putExtra("key_from_floating_window", false);
i.setComponent(
    new ComponentName(
        "com.google.android.apps.translate",
        "com.google.android.apps.translate.translation.TranslateActivity"));
startActivity(i);

Answer 3

I have the same problem. Initially, I tried to use Google Translate Ajax API, but since Google have deprecated API version 1 and make version 2 as paid service, my code stops working. Then, I decompiled Google Translate App, looked into the Smali code and got some hint about the logic inside it. Use this code, it works for me:

private void callGoogleTranslateApps(String word, String fromLang, String toLang) {
    Intent i = new Intent();

    i.setAction(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
    i.putExtra("key_text_input", word);
    i.putExtra("key_text_output", "");
    i.putExtra("key_language_from", fromLang);
    i.putExtra("key_language_to", toLang);
    i.putExtra("key_suggest_translation", "");
    i.putExtra("key_from_floating_window", false);

    i.setComponent(new ComponentName("com.google.android.apps.translate", "com.google.android.apps.translate.TranslateActivity"));
    startActivity(i);
}

Answer 4

OMG! They have changed it once again! They have made it look more reasonable, but not compatible with the previous version.

Intent i = new Intent();
i.setAction(Intent.ACTION_SEND);
i.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, "What is going on?");
i.putExtra("key_text_input", "Oh my God!");
i.putExtra("from", "en");
i.putExtra("to", "zh-CN");
i.setComponent(new ComponentName("com.google.android.apps.translate",
                "com.google.android.apps.translate.HomeActivity"));

Looks like this is a SEND intent with two additional (BTW, optional) parameters, "to" and "from".

There's a gotcha: "key_text_input" takes preference over Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, and "to" and "from" work only with "key_text_input".

For people that change the API with each new version it may look only reasonable to rename "key_text_input" to, say, just "text_input", so we will look forward to the next release...

To be on the safe side, I'd propose to set both Intent.EXTRA_TEXT and "key_text_input" to the same value.