Skip translating words with %% and [] in Google Sheets - regex

Question

I am using GoogleTranslate() with Sheets to translate some contents into different languages. In those contents, we have multiple hooks [ ] and % % in one string that do not need to translate. Example :
[name] [surname] looked at your profile %number% !
I do not need to translate hooks like [username] and %number%.
I'm looking for :
[name] [surname] a regardé ton profil %number% ! (in french for example)
A solution is already provided here for one character using REGEXREPLACE and REGEXEXTRACT. But I need either symbol [xxx] and %xxx% in one formula. Thank you.

Answer 1

Alternatively, instead of using the GOOGLETRANSLATE with multiple nested functions, you can try creating a bound script on your spreadsheet file & then copy/paste the simple custom script below that contains translate() function for a more simplified use of function on your sheet:
CUSTOM SCRIPT
function translate(range) {
var container = [];
//KEEP ALL %***% and [***] INTO A CONTAINER
var regex = /(\[.*?])|(\%.*?%)/gm,
stringTest = range,
matched;
while(matched = regex.exec(stringTest)){
container.push(matched[0]);
}
//TRANSLATE TEXT TO FRENCH FROM ENGLISH W/O %***% and [***]
var replacedData = stringTest.replace(regex,'#');
var toTranslate = LanguageApp.translate(replacedData, 'en', 'fr');
var res = "";
//REARRANGE THE TRANSLATED TEXT WITH %***% and [***] FROM CONTAINER
for(x=0;x<toTranslate.split("#").length;x++){
res = res + toTranslate.split("#")[x]+" "+container[x];
}
//RETURN FINAL TRANSLATED TEXT WITH UNMODIFIED %***% and [***]
return res.trim().replace("undefined","");
}
SAMPLE RESULT
After saving the script, just simply put =translate(A1) (e.g. the text you want to translate is on cell A1) on a sheet cell and the script will skip any multiple words inside [***] & %***%, then it will only translate the rest of the text to french.

Answer 2

Try this:
=arrayformula(if(A1<>"",join("",if(isnumber(flatten(split(GOOGLETRANSLATE(join(" ",iferror(regexreplace(to_text(flatten(split(A1," "))),"(\[.*\])|(\%.*\%)","["&row(A$1:A)&"]"),)),"en","fr"),"[]"))),vlookup(flatten(split(GOOGLETRANSLATE(join(" ",iferror(regexreplace(to_text(flatten(split(A1," "))),"(\[.*\])|(\%.*\%)","["&row(A$1:A)&"]"),)),"en","fr"),"[]")),{sequence(len(regexreplace(A1,"[^\ ]",))+1,1),flatten(split(A1," "))},2,false),flatten(split(GOOGLETRANSLATE(join(" ",iferror(regexreplace(to_text(flatten(split(A1," "))),"(\[.*\])|(\%.*\%)","["&row(A$1:A)&"]"),)),"en","fr"),"[]")))),))
GOOGLETRANSLATE does not work with ARRAYFORMULA, but you can drag down this formula from cell B1 if you want to apply it to multiple rows in column A.
Individual steps taken:
Split text by space character, then flatten into one column.
Cell D1: =flatten(split(A1," "))
Replace [***] and %***% with [row#].
Cell E1: =arrayformula(iferror(regexreplace(to_text(flatten(split(A1," "))),"(\[.*\])|(\%.*\%)","["&row(A$1:A)&"]"),))
Join the rows into one cell.
Cell F1: =join(" ",E:E)
Apply Google Translate.
Cell G1: =GOOGLETRANSLATE(F1,"en","fr")
Split by [].
Cell H1: =flatten(split(G1,"[]"))
Where rows contain numbers, lookup item 1) above.
Cell I1: =arrayformula(if(isnumber(H1:H),vlookup(H1:H,{row(A$1:A),D:D},2,false),H1:H))
Join the rows into one cell.
Cell J1: =join(" ",I:I)