GoogleTrans as a GreaseMonkey Script(Beta)

GreaseMonkey is a Firefox Extension, which allows javascript to be run beside and, in some cases, injected within, all the web pages you view on Firefox.

The GoogleTrans greasemonkey script puts cursor hover WikipediaLookup/Translation behavior on all webpages, unless one turns off the script (look at the TOOLS/GREASEMONKEY menu option of Firefox).

Steps to install GoogleTrans Greasemonkey script

  1. Install the GreaseMonkey extension on Firefox
  2. Caveat: You need to have at least Firefox 3.6 installed to run GoogleTrans as a greasemonkey script! GoogleTrans as a greasemonkey script does not work properly on Firefox 3.5.11. GoogleTrans as a greasemonkey script will work properly on Firefox 3.6.13 (tested). You can download the latest version of Firefox at http://www.mozilla.org.

    FireFox v4(beta) needs a special version of Greasemonkey. The ordinary Greasemonkey extension will be disabled. See here for how to install a version of the Greasemonkey extension for Firefox v4 (this info as of January 2011). The latest nightly build of Greasemonkey (which works on Firefox v4) can be downloaded here. This build is not guaranteed to be stable.
  3. After installing the Greasemonky extension, and perhaps upgrading FireFox, you then click on this next link to install the GoogleTrans Greasemonkey script
    Install GoogleTrans as a GreaseMonkey script
  4. The GoogleTrans Greasemonkey script currently loads two javascript files from http://www.securecottage.com and injects them into your viewed webpage. You are welcome to take these two files, place them on your own webserver and then change the greasemonkey javascript variable that sets the site to load from. Check out the googletrans.user.js script to see what changes are needed. They are quite small ones.

Most people will find the WikipediaLookup on online newspapers the most interesting feature of GoogleTrans. Just remember that the cursor hover does not start working until the entire page is downloaded. With newspapers continually downloading ads this can be a few seconds at times.

Caveats: Sometimes the persistant variables (the settings such as Wikipedia language, WikipediaLookup/Translation switch) will lose their value, needing a reset. This does not happen very often but the user is warned of it.

In pre Firefox 3.6 sites, GoogleTrans will function but you will be unable to permanently change the persistant variables such as language to translate to, and whether you wish Wikipedia Lookup or Dictionary Lookup.