translator-ai
by DatanoiseTV
README.md
# translator-ai
[](https://github.com/DatanoiseTV/translator-ai/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/translator-ai)
[](https://coff.ee/datanoisetv)
Fast and efficient JSON i18n translator supporting multiple AI providers (Google Gemini, OpenAI & Ollama/DeepSeek) with intelligent caching, multi-file deduplication, and MCP integration.
## Features
- **Multiple AI Providers**: Choose between Google Gemini, OpenAI (cloud) or Ollama/DeepSeek (local) for translations
- **Multi-File Support**: Process multiple files with automatic deduplication to save API calls
- **Incremental Caching**: Only translates new or modified strings, dramatically reducing API calls
- **Batch Processing**: Intelligently batches translations for optimal performance
- **Path Preservation**: Maintains exact JSON structure including nested objects and arrays
- **Cross-Platform**: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux with automatic cache directory detection
- **Developer Friendly**: Built-in performance statistics and progress indicators
- **Cost Effective**: Minimizes API usage through smart caching and deduplication
- **Language Detection**: Automatically detect source language instead of assuming English
- **Multiple Target Languages**: Translate to multiple languages in a single command
- **Translation Metadata**: Optionally include translation details in output files for tracking
- **Dry Run Mode**: Preview what would be translated without making API calls
- **Format Preservation**: Maintains URLs, emails, dates, numbers, and template variables unchanged
## Installation
### Global Installation (Recommended)
```bash
npm install -g translator-ai
```
### Local Installation
```bash
npm install translator-ai
```
## Configuration
### Option 1: Google Gemini API (Cloud)
Create a `.env` file in your project root or set the environment variable:
```bash
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key_here
```
Get your API key from [Google AI Studio](https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey).
### Option 2: OpenAI API (Cloud)
Create a `.env` file in your project root or set the environment variable:
```bash
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key_here
```
Get your API key from [OpenAI Platform](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys).
### Option 3: Ollama with DeepSeek-R1 (Local)
For completely local translation without API costs:
1. Install [Ollama](https://ollama.ai)
2. Pull the DeepSeek-R1 model:
```bash
ollama pull deepseek-r1:latest
```
3. Use the `--provider ollama` flag:
```bash
translator-ai source.json -l es -o spanish.json --provider ollama
```
## Usage
### Basic Usage
```bash
# Translate a single file
translator-ai source.json -l es -o spanish.json
# Translate multiple files with deduplication
translator-ai src/locales/en/*.json -l es -o "{dir}/{name}.{lang}.json"
# Use glob patterns
translator-ai "src/**/*.en.json" -l fr -o "{dir}/{name}.fr.json"
```
### Command Line Options
```
translator-ai <inputFiles...> [options]
Arguments:
inputFiles Path(s) to source JSON file(s) or glob patterns
Options:
-l, --lang <langCodes> Target language code(s), comma-separated for multiple
-o, --output <pattern> Output file path or pattern
--stdout Output to stdout instead of file
--stats Show detailed performance statistics
--no-cache Disable incremental translation cache
--cache-file <path> Custom cache file path
--provider <type> Translation provider: gemini, openai, or ollama (default: gemini)
--ollama-url <url> Ollama API URL (default: http://localhost:11434)
--ollama-model <model> Ollama model name (default: deepseek-r1:latest)
--gemini-model <model> Gemini model name (default: gemini-2.0-flash-lite)
--openai-model <model> OpenAI model name (default: gpt-4o-mini)
--list-providers List available translation providers
--verbose Enable verbose output for debugging
--detect-source Auto-detect source language instead of assuming English
--dry-run Preview what would be translated without making API calls
--preserve-formats Preserve URLs, emails, numbers, dates, and other formats
--metadata Add translation metadata to output files (may break some i18n parsers)
--sort-keys Sort output JSON keys alphabetically
--check-keys Verify all source keys exist in output (exit with error if keys are missing)
-h, --help Display help
-V, --version Display version
Output Pattern Variables (for multiple files):
{dir} - Original directory path
{name} - Original filename without extension
{lang} - Target language code
```
### Examples
#### Translate a single file
```bash
translator-ai en.json -l es -o es.json
```
#### Translate multiple files with pattern
```bash
# All JSON files in a directory
translator-ai locales/en/*.json -l es -o "locales/es/{name}.json"
# Recursive glob pattern
translator-ai "src/**/en.json" -l fr -o "{dir}/fr.json"
# Multiple specific files
translator-ai file1.json file2.json file3.json -l de -o "{name}.de.json"
```
#### Translate with deduplication savings
```bash
# Shows statistics including how many API calls were saved
translator-ai src/i18n/*.json -l ja -o "{dir}/{name}.{lang}.json" --stats
```
#### Output to stdout (useful for piping)
```bash
translator-ai en.json -l de --stdout > de.json
```
#### Parse output with jq
```bash
translator-ai en.json -l de --stdout | jq
```
#### Disable caching for fresh translation
```bash
translator-ai en.json -l ja -o ja.json --no-cache
```
#### Use custom cache location
```bash
translator-ai en.json -l ko -o ko.json --cache-file /path/to/cache.json
```
#### Use Ollama for local translation
```bash
# Basic usage with Ollama
translator-ai en.json -l es -o es.json --provider ollama
# Use a different Ollama model
translator-ai en.json -l fr -o fr.json --provider ollama --ollama-model llama2:latest
# Connect to remote Ollama instance
translator-ai en.json -l de -o de.json --provider ollama --ollama-url http://192.168.1.100:11434
# Check available providers
translator-ai --list-providers
```
#### Advanced Features
```bash
# Detect source language automatically
translator-ai content.json -l es -o spanish.json --detect-source
# Translate to multiple languages at once
translator-ai en.json -l es,fr,de,ja -o translations/{lang}.json
# Dry run - see what would be translated without making API calls
translator-ai en.json -l es -o es.json --dry-run
# Preserve formats (URLs, emails, dates, numbers, template variables)
translator-ai app.json -l fr -o app-fr.json --preserve-formats
# Include translation metadata (disabled by default to ensure compatibility)
translator-ai en.json -l fr -o fr.json --metadata
# Sort keys alphabetically for consistent output
translator-ai en.json -l fr -o fr.json --sort-keys
# Verify all keys are present in the translation
translator-ai en.json -l fr -o fr.json --check-keys
# Use a different Gemini model
translator-ai en.json -l es -o es.json --gemini-model gemini-2.5-flash
# Combine features
translator-ai src/**/*.json -l es,fr,de -o "{dir}/{name}.{lang}.json" \
--detect-source --preserve-formats --stats --check-keys
```
### Available Gemini Models
The `--gemini-model` option allows you to choose from various Gemini models. Popular options include:
- `gemini-2.0-flash-lite` (default) - Fast and efficient for most translations
- `gemini-2.5-flash` - Enhanced performance with newer capabilities
- `gemini-pro` - More sophisticated understanding for complex translations
- `gemini-1.5-pro` - Previous generation pro model
- `gemini-1.5-flash` - Previous generation fast model
Example usage:
```bash
# Use the latest flash model
translator-ai en.json -l es -o es.json --gemini-model gemini-2.5-flash
# Use the default lightweight model
translator-ai en.json -l fr -o fr.json --gemini-model gemini-2.0-flash-lite
```
### Available OpenAI Models
The `--openai-model` option allows you to choose from various OpenAI models. Popular options include:
- `gpt-4o-mini` (default) - Cost-effective and fast for most translations
- `gpt-4o` - Most capable model with advanced understanding
- `gpt-4-turbo` - Previous generation flagship model
- `gpt-3.5-turbo` - Fast and efficient for simpler translations
Example usage:
```bash
# Use OpenAI with the default model
translator-ai en.json -l es -o es.json --provider openai
# Use GPT-4o for complex translations
translator-ai en.json -l ja -o ja.json --provider openai --openai-model gpt-4o
# Use GPT-3.5-turbo for faster, simpler translations
translator-ai en.json -l fr -o fr.json --provider openai --openai-model gpt-3.5-turbo
```
### Translation Metadata
When enabled with the `--metadata` flag, translator-ai adds metadata to help track translations:
```json
{
"_translator_metadata": {
"tool": "translator-ai v1.1.0",
"repository": "https://github.com/DatanoiseTV/translator-ai",
"provider": "Google Gemini",
"source_language": "English",
"target_language": "fr",
"timestamp": "2025-06-20T12:34:56.789Z",
"total_strings": 42,
"source_file": "en.json"
},
"greeting": "Bonjour",
"farewell": "Au revoir"
}
```
Metadata is disabled by default to ensure compatibility with i18n parsers. Use `--metadata` to enable it.
### Key Sorting
Use the `--sort-keys` flag to sort all JSON keys alphabetically in the output:
```bash
translator-ai en.json -l es -o es.json --sort-keys
```
This ensures consistent ordering across translations and makes diffs cleaner. Keys are sorted:
- Case-insensitively (a, B, c, not B, a, c)
- Recursively through all nested objects
- Arrays maintain their element order
### Key Verification
Use the `--check-keys` flag to ensure translation completeness:
```bash
translator-ai en.json -l es -o es.json --check-keys
```
This feature:
- Verifies all source keys exist in the translated output
- Reports any missing keys with their full paths
- Exits with error code 1 if any keys are missing
- Helps catch translation API failures or formatting issues
- Ignores metadata keys when checking
### Supported Language Codes
It should support any standardized language codes.
## How It Works
1. **Parsing**: Reads and flattens your JSON structure into paths
2. **Deduplication**: When processing multiple files, identifies shared strings
3. **Caching**: Checks cache for previously translated strings
4. **Diffing**: Identifies new or modified strings needing translation
5. **Batching**: Groups unique strings into optimal batch sizes for API efficiency
6. **Translation**: Sends batches to selected provider (Gemini API or local Ollama)
7. **Reconstruction**: Rebuilds the exact JSON structure with translations
8. **Caching**: Updates cache with new translations for future use
### Multi-File Deduplication
When translating multiple files, translator-ai automatically:
- Identifies duplicate strings across files
- Translates each unique string only once
- Applies the same translation consistently across all files
- Saves significant API calls and ensures consistency
Example: If 10 files share 50% of their strings, you save ~50% on API calls!
## Cache Management
### Default Cache Locations
- **Windows**: `%APPDATA%\translator-ai\translation-cache.json`
- **macOS**: `~/Library/Caches/translator-ai/translation-cache.json`
- **Linux**: `~/.cache/translator-ai/translation-cache.json`
The cache file stores translations indexed by:
- Source file path
- Target language
- SHA-256 hash of source string
This ensures that:
- Modified strings are retranslated
- Removed strings are pruned from cache
- Multiple projects can share the same cache without conflicts
## Provider Comparison
### Google Gemini
- **Pros**: Fast, accurate, handles large batches efficiently
- **Cons**: Requires API key, has usage costs
- **Available Models**:
- `gemini-2.0-flash-lite` (default) - Fastest, most cost-effective
- `gemini-pro` - Balanced performance
- `gemini-1.5-pro` - Advanced capabilities
- `gemini-1.5-flash` - Fast with good quality
- **Best for**: Production use, large projects, when accuracy is critical
### Ollama (Local)
- **Pros**: Free, runs locally, no API limits, privacy-friendly
- **Cons**: Slower, requires local resources, model download needed
- **Best for**: Development, privacy-sensitive data, cost-conscious projects
## Performance Tips
1. **Use caching** (enabled by default) to minimize API calls
2. **Batch multiple files** in the same session to leverage warm cache
3. **Use `--stats` flag** to monitor performance and optimization opportunities
4. **Keep source files consistent** to maximize cache hits
5. **For Ollama**: Use a powerful machine for better performance
## API Limits and Costs
### Gemini API
- Uses Gemini 2.0 Flash Lite model for optimal speed and cost
- Chooses best batch size dynamically depending on input key count
- Batches up to 100 strings per API call
- Check [Google's pricing](https://ai.google.dev/pricing) for current rates
### Ollama
- No API costs - runs entirely on your hardware
- Performance depends on your machine's capabilities
- Supports various models with different speed/quality tradeoffs
## Using with Model Context Protocol (MCP)
translator-ai can be used as an MCP server, allowing AI assistants like Claude Desktop to translate files directly.
### MCP Configuration
Add to your Claude Desktop configuration:
**macOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
**Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"translator-ai": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"translator-ai-mcp"
],
"env": {
"GEMINI_API_KEY": "your-gemini-api-key-here"
// Or for Ollama:
// "TRANSLATOR_PROVIDER": "ollama"
}
}
}
}
```
### MCP Usage Examples
Once configured, you can ask Claude to translate files:
```
Human: Can you translate my English locale file to Spanish?
Claude: I'll translate your English locale file to Spanish using translator-ai.
<use_tool name="translate_json">
{
"inputFile": "locales/en.json",
"targetLanguage": "es",
"outputFile": "locales/es.json"
}
</use_tool>
Successfully translated! The file has been saved to locales/es.json.
```
For multiple files with deduplication:
```
Human: Translate all my English JSON files in the locales folder to German.
Claude: I'll translate all your English JSON files to German with deduplication.
<use_tool name="translate_multiple">
{
"pattern": "locales/en/*.json",
"targetLanguage": "de",
"outputPattern": "locales/de/{name}.json",
"showStats": true
}
</use_tool>
Translation complete! Processed 5 files with 23% deduplication savings.
```
### MCP Tools Available
1. **translate_json**: Translate a single JSON file
- `inputFile`: Path to source file
- `targetLanguage`: Target language code
- `outputFile`: Output file path
2. **translate_multiple**: Translate multiple files with deduplication
- `pattern`: File pattern or paths
- `targetLanguage`: Target language code
- `outputPattern`: Output pattern with {dir}, {name}, {lang} variables
- `showStats`: Show deduplication statistics (optional)
## Integration with Static Site Generators
### Working with YAML Files (Hugo, Jekyll, etc.)
Since translator-ai works with JSON files, you'll need to convert YAML to JSON and back. Here's a practical workflow:
#### Setup YAML conversion tools
```bash
# Install yaml conversion tools
npm install -g js-yaml
# or
pip install pyyaml
```
#### Hugo Example with YAML Conversion
1. **Create a translation script** (`translate-hugo.sh`):
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# translate-hugo.sh - Translate Hugo YAML i18n files
# Function to translate YAML file
translate_yaml() {
local input_file=$1
local lang=$2
local output_file=$3
echo "Translating $input_file to $lang..."
# Convert YAML to JSON
npx js-yaml $input_file > temp_input.json
# Translate JSON
translator-ai temp_input.json -l $lang -o temp_output.json
# Convert back to YAML
npx js-yaml temp_output.json > $output_file
# Cleanup
rm temp_input.json temp_output.json
}
# Translate Hugo i18n files
translate_yaml themes/your-theme/i18n/en.yaml es themes/your-theme/i18n/es.yaml
translate_yaml themes/your-theme/i18n/en.yaml fr themes/your-theme/i18n/fr.yaml
translate_yaml themes/your-theme/i18n/en.yaml de themes/your-theme/i18n/de.yaml
```
2. **Python-based converter** for more complex scenarios:
```python
#!/usr/bin/env python3
# hugo-translate.py
import yaml
import json
import subprocess
import sys
import os
def yaml_to_json(yaml_file):
"""Convert YAML to JSON"""
with open(yaml_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
data = yaml.safe_load(f)
return json.dumps(data, ensure_ascii=False, indent=2)
def json_to_yaml(json_str):
"""Convert JSON back to YAML"""
data = json.loads(json_str)
return yaml.dump(data, allow_unicode=True, default_flow_style=False)
def translate_yaml_file(input_yaml, target_lang, output_yaml):
"""Translate a YAML file using translator-ai"""
# Create temp JSON file
temp_json_in = 'temp_in.json'
temp_json_out = f'temp_out_{target_lang}.json'
try:
# Convert YAML to JSON
json_content = yaml_to_json(input_yaml)
with open(temp_json_in, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
f.write(json_content)
# Run translator-ai
cmd = [
'translator-ai',
temp_json_in,
'-l', target_lang,
'-o', temp_json_out
]
subprocess.run(cmd, check=True)
# Read translated JSON and convert back to YAML
with open(temp_json_out, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
translated_json = f.read()
yaml_content = json_to_yaml(translated_json)
# Write YAML output
with open(output_yaml, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
f.write(yaml_content)
print(f"✓ Translated {input_yaml} to {output_yaml}")
finally:
# Cleanup temp files
for f in [temp_json_in, temp_json_out]:
if os.path.exists(f):
os.remove(f)
# Usage
if __name__ == "__main__":
languages = ['es', 'fr', 'de', 'ja']
for lang in languages:
translate_yaml_file(
'i18n/en.yaml',
lang,
f'i18n/{lang}.yaml'
)
```
#### Node.js Solution with Proper YAML Handling
Create `translate-yaml.js`:
```javascript
#!/usr/bin/env node
const fs = require('fs');
const yaml = require('js-yaml');
const { execSync } = require('child_process');
const path = require('path');
function translateYamlFile(inputPath, targetLang, outputPath) {
console.log(`Translating ${inputPath} to ${targetLang}...`);
// Read and parse YAML
const yamlContent = fs.readFileSync(inputPath, 'utf8');
const data = yaml.load(yamlContent);
// Write temporary JSON
const tempJsonIn = `temp_${path.basename(inputPath)}.json`;
const tempJsonOut = `temp_${path.basename(inputPath)}_${targetLang}.json`;
fs.writeFileSync(tempJsonIn, JSON.stringify(data, null, 2));
try {
// Translate using translator-ai
execSync(`translator-ai ${tempJsonIn} -l ${targetLang} -o ${tempJsonOut}`);
// Read translated JSON
const translatedData = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(tempJsonOut, 'utf8'));
// Convert back to YAML
const translatedYaml = yaml.dump(translatedData, {
indent: 2,
lineWidth: -1,
noRefs: true
});
// Write output YAML
fs.writeFileSync(outputPath, translatedYaml);
console.log(`✓ Created ${outputPath}`);
} finally {
// Cleanup
[tempJsonIn, tempJsonOut].forEach(f => {
if (fs.existsSync(f)) fs.unlinkSync(f);
});
}
}
// Example usage
const languages = ['es', 'fr', 'de'];
languages.forEach(lang => {
translateYamlFile(
'i18n/en.yaml',
lang,
`i18n/${lang}.yaml`
);
});
```
### Real-world Hugo Workflow
Hugo supports two translation methods: by filename (`about.en.md`, `about.fr.md`) or by content directory (`content/en/`, `content/fr/`). Here's how to automate both:
#### Method 1: Translation by Filename
Create `hugo-translate-files.sh`:
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# Translate Hugo content files using filename convention
SOURCE_LANG="en"
TARGET_LANGS=("es" "fr" "de" "ja")
# Find all English content files
find content -name "*.${SOURCE_LANG}.md" | while read -r file; do
# Extract base filename without language suffix
base_name="${file%.${SOURCE_LANG}.md}"
for lang in "${TARGET_LANGS[@]}"; do
output_file="${base_name}.${lang}.md"
# Skip if translation already exists
if [ -f "$output_file" ]; then
echo "Skipping $output_file (already exists)"
continue
fi
# Extract front matter
awk '/^---$/{p=1; next} p&&/^---$/{exit} p' "$file" > temp_frontmatter.yaml
# Convert front matter to JSON
npx js-yaml temp_frontmatter.yaml > temp_frontmatter.json
# Translate front matter
translator-ai temp_frontmatter.json -l "$lang" -o "temp_translated.json"
# Convert back to YAML
echo "---" > "$output_file"
npx js-yaml temp_translated.json >> "$output_file"
echo "---" >> "$output_file"
# Copy content (you might want to translate this too)
awk '/^---$/{p++} p==2{print}' "$file" | tail -n +2 >> "$output_file"
echo "Created $output_file"
done
# Cleanup
rm -f temp_frontmatter.yaml temp_frontmatter.json temp_translated.json
done
```
#### Method 2: Translation by Content Directory
1. **Setup Hugo config** (`config.yaml`):
```yaml
defaultContentLanguage: en
defaultContentLanguageInSubdir: false
languages:
en:
contentDir: content/en
languageName: English
weight: 1
es:
contentDir: content/es
languageName: Español
weight: 2
fr:
contentDir: content/fr
languageName: Français
weight: 3
# Rest of your config...
```
2. **Create translation script** (`hugo-translate-dirs.js`):
```javascript
#!/usr/bin/env node
const fs = require('fs-extra');
const path = require('path');
const yaml = require('js-yaml');
const { execSync } = require('child_process');
const glob = require('glob');
const SOURCE_LANG = 'en';
const TARGET_LANGS = ['es', 'fr', 'de'];
async function translateHugoContent() {
// Ensure target directories exist
for (const lang of TARGET_LANGS) {
await fs.ensureDir(`content/${lang}`);
}
// Find all content files in source language
const files = glob.sync(`content/${SOURCE_LANG}/**/*.md`);
for (const file of files) {
const relativePath = path.relative(`content/${SOURCE_LANG}`, file);
for (const lang of TARGET_LANGS) {
const targetFile = path.join(`content/${lang}`, relativePath);
// Skip if already translated
if (await fs.pathExists(targetFile)) {
console.log(`Skipping ${targetFile} (exists)`);
continue;
}
await translateFile(file, targetFile, lang);
}
}
}
async function translateFile(sourceFile, targetFile, targetLang) {
console.log(`Translating ${sourceFile} to ${targetLang}...`);
const content = await fs.readFile(sourceFile, 'utf8');
const frontMatterMatch = content.match(/^---\n([\s\S]*?)\n---/);
if (!frontMatterMatch) {
// No front matter, just copy
await fs.ensureDir(path.dirname(targetFile));
await fs.copyFile(sourceFile, targetFile);
return;
}
// Parse front matter
const frontMatter = yaml.load(frontMatterMatch[1]);
const body = content.substring(frontMatterMatch[0].length);
// Extract translatable fields
const translatable = {
title: frontMatter.title || '',
description: frontMatter.description || '',
summary: frontMatter.summary || '',
keywords: frontMatter.keywords || []
};
// Save for translation
await fs.writeJson('temp_meta.json', translatable);
// Translate
execSync(`translator-ai temp_meta.json -l ${targetLang} -o temp_translated.json`);
// Read translations
const translated = await fs.readJson('temp_translated.json');
// Update front matter
Object.assign(frontMatter, translated);
// Write translated file
await fs.ensureDir(path.dirname(targetFile));
const newContent = `---\n${yaml.dump(frontMatter)}---${body}`;
await fs.writeFile(targetFile, newContent);
// Cleanup
await fs.remove('temp_meta.json');
await fs.remove('temp_translated.json');
console.log(`✓ Created ${targetFile}`);
}
// Run translation
translateHugoContent().catch(console.error);
```
#### Hugo i18n Files Translation
1. **Install dependencies**:
```bash
npm install -g translator-ai js-yaml
```
2. **Create a Makefile** for easy translation:
```makefile
# Makefile for Hugo translations
LANGUAGES := es fr de ja zh
SOURCE_YAML := i18n/en.yaml
THEME_DIR := themes/your-theme
.PHONY: translate
translate: $(foreach lang,$(LANGUAGES),translate-$(lang))
translate-%:
@echo "Translating to $*..."
@npx js-yaml $(SOURCE_YAML) > temp.json
@translator-ai temp.json -l $* -o temp_$*.json
@npx js-yaml temp_$*.json > i18n/$*.yaml
@rm temp.json temp_$*.json
@echo "✓ Created i18n/$*.yaml"
.PHONY: translate-theme
translate-theme:
@for lang in $(LANGUAGES); do \
make translate-theme-$$lang; \
done
translate-theme-%:
@echo "Translating theme to $*..."
@npx js-yaml $(THEME_DIR)/i18n/en.yaml > temp_theme.json
@translator-ai temp_theme.json -l $* -o temp_theme_$*.json
@npx js-yaml temp_theme_$*.json > $(THEME_DIR)/i18n/$*.yaml
@rm temp_theme.json temp_theme_$*.json
.PHONY: clean
clean:
@rm -f temp*.json
# Translate everything
.PHONY: all
all: translate translate-theme
```
Usage:
```bash
# Translate to all languages
make all
# Translate to specific language
make translate-es
# Translate theme files
make translate-theme
```
#### Complete Hugo Translation Workflow
Here's a comprehensive script that handles both content and i18n translations:
```javascript
#!/usr/bin/env node
// hugo-complete-translator.js
const fs = require('fs-extra');
const path = require('path');
const yaml = require('js-yaml');
const { execSync } = require('child_process');
const glob = require('glob');
class HugoTranslator {
constructor(targetLanguages = ['es', 'fr', 'de']) {
this.targetLanguages = targetLanguages;
this.tempFiles = [];
}
async translateSite() {
console.log('Starting Hugo site translation...\n');
// 1. Translate i18n files
await this.translateI18nFiles();
// 2. Translate content
await this.translateContent();
// 3. Update config
await this.updateConfig();
console.log('\nTranslation complete!');
}
async translateI18nFiles() {
console.log('Translating i18n files...');
const i18nFiles = glob.sync('i18n/en.{yaml,yml,toml}');
for (const file of i18nFiles) {
const ext = path.extname(file);
for (const lang of this.targetLanguages) {
const outputFile = `i18n/${lang}${ext}`;
if (await fs.pathExists(outputFile)) {
console.log(` Skipping ${outputFile} (exists)`);
continue;
}
// Convert to JSON
const tempJson = `temp_i18n_${lang}.json`;
await this.convertToJson(file, tempJson);
// Translate
const translatedJson = `temp_i18n_${lang}_translated.json`;
execSync(`translator-ai ${tempJson} -l ${lang} -o ${translatedJson}`);
// Convert back
await this.convertFromJson(translatedJson, outputFile, ext);
// Cleanup
await fs.remove(tempJson);
await fs.remove(translatedJson);
console.log(` ✓ Created ${outputFile}`);
}
}
}
async translateContent() {
console.log('\nTranslating content...');
// Detect translation method
const useContentDirs = await fs.pathExists('content/en');
if (useContentDirs) {
await this.translateContentByDirectory();
} else {
await this.translateContentByFilename();
}
}
async translateContentByDirectory() {
const files = glob.sync('content/en/**/*.md');
for (const file of files) {
const relativePath = path.relative('content/en', file);
for (const lang of this.targetLanguages) {
const targetFile = path.join('content', lang, relativePath);
if (await fs.pathExists(targetFile)) continue;
await this.translateMarkdownFile(file, targetFile, lang);
}
}
}
async translateContentByFilename() {
const files = glob.sync('content/**/*.en.md');
for (const file of files) {
const baseName = file.replace('.en.md', '');
for (const lang of this.targetLanguages) {
const targetFile = `${baseName}.${lang}.md`;
if (await fs.pathExists(targetFile)) continue;
await this.translateMarkdownFile(file, targetFile, lang);
}
}
}
async translateMarkdownFile(sourceFile, targetFile, targetLang) {
const content = await fs.readFile(sourceFile, 'utf8');
const frontMatterMatch = content.match(/^---\n([\s\S]*?)\n---/);
if (!frontMatterMatch) {
await fs.copy(sourceFile, targetFile);
return;
}
const frontMatter = yaml.load(frontMatterMatch[1]);
const body = content.substring(frontMatterMatch[0].length);
// Translate front matter
const translatable = this.extractTranslatableFields(frontMatter);
const tempJson = `temp_content_${path.basename(sourceFile)}.json`;
const translatedJson = `${tempJson}.translated`;
await fs.writeJson(tempJson, translatable);
execSync(`translator-ai ${tempJson} -l ${targetLang} -o ${translatedJson}`);
const translated = await fs.readJson(translatedJson);
Object.assign(frontMatter, translated);
// Write translated file
await fs.ensureDir(path.dirname(targetFile));
const newContent = `---\n${yaml.dump(frontMatter)}---${body}`;
await fs.writeFile(targetFile, newContent);
// Cleanup
await fs.remove(tempJson);
await fs.remove(translatedJson);
console.log(` ✓ ${targetFile}`);
}
extractTranslatableFields(frontMatter) {
const fields = ['title', 'description', 'summary', 'keywords', 'tags'];
const translatable = {};
fields.forEach(field => {
if (frontMatter[field]) {
translatable[field] = frontMatter[field];
}
});
return translatable;
}
async convertToJson(inputFile, outputFile) {
const ext = path.extname(inputFile);
const content = await fs.readFile(inputFile, 'utf8');
let data;
if (ext === '.yaml' || ext === '.yml') {
data = yaml.load(content);
} else if (ext === '.toml') {
// You'd need a TOML parser here
throw new Error('TOML support not implemented in this example');
}
await fs.writeJson(outputFile, data, { spaces: 2 });
}
async convertFromJson(inputFile, outputFile, format) {
const data = await fs.readJson(inputFile);
let content;
if (format === '.yaml' || format === '.yml') {
content = yaml.dump(data, {
indent: 2,
lineWidth: -1,
noRefs: true
});
} else if (format === '.toml') {
throw new Error('TOML support not implemented in this example');
}
await fs.writeFile(outputFile, content);
}
async updateConfig() {
console.log('\nUpdating Hugo config...');
const configFile = glob.sync('config.{yaml,yml,toml,json}')[0];
if (!configFile) return;
// This is a simplified example - you'd need to properly parse and update
console.log(' ! Remember to update your config.yaml with language settings');
}
}
// Run the translator
if (require.main === module) {
const translator = new HugoTranslator(['es', 'fr', 'de']);
translator.translateSite().catch(console.error);
}
module.exports = HugoTranslator;
```
#### Using with Hugo Modules
If you're using Hugo Modules, you can create a translation module:
```go
// go.mod
module github.com/yourusername/hugo-translator
go 1.19
require (
github.com/yourusername/your-theme v1.0.0
)
```
Then in your `package.json`:
```json
{
"scripts": {
"translate": "node hugo-complete-translator.js",
"translate:content": "node hugo-complete-translator.js --content-only",
"translate:i18n": "node hugo-complete-translator.js --i18n-only",
"build": "npm run translate && hugo"
}
}
```
### Jekyll with YAML Front Matter
For Jekyll posts with YAML front matter:
```python
#!/usr/bin/env python3
# translate-jekyll-posts.py
import os
import yaml
import json
import subprocess
import frontmatter
def translate_jekyll_post(post_path, target_lang, output_dir):
"""Translate Jekyll post including front matter"""
# Load post with front matter
post = frontmatter.load(post_path)
# Extract translatable front matter fields
translatable = {
'title': post.metadata.get('title', ''),
'description': post.metadata.get('description', ''),
'excerpt': post.metadata.get('excerpt', '')
}
# Save as JSON for translation
with open('temp_meta.json', 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
json.dump(translatable, f, ensure_ascii=False, indent=2)
# Translate
subprocess.run([
'translator-ai',
'temp_meta.json',
'-l', target_lang,
'-o', f'temp_meta_{target_lang}.json'
])
# Load translations
with open(f'temp_meta_{target_lang}.json', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
translations = json.load(f)
# Update post metadata
for key, value in translations.items():
if value: # Only update if translation exists
post.metadata[key] = value
# Add language to metadata
post.metadata['lang'] = target_lang
# Save translated post
output_path = os.path.join(output_dir, os.path.basename(post_path))
with open(output_path, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
f.write(frontmatter.dumps(post))
# Cleanup
os.remove('temp_meta.json')
os.remove(f'temp_meta_{target_lang}.json')
# Translate all posts
for lang in ['es', 'fr', 'de']:
os.makedirs(f'_posts/{lang}', exist_ok=True)
for post in os.listdir('_posts/en'):
if post.endswith('.md'):
translate_jekyll_post(
f'_posts/en/{post}',
lang,
f'_posts/{lang}'
)
```
### Tips for YAML/JSON Conversion
1. **Preserve formatting**: Use `js-yaml` with proper options to maintain YAML structure
2. **Handle special characters**: Ensure proper encoding (UTF-8) throughout
3. **Validate output**: Some YAML features (anchors, aliases) may need special handling
4. **Consider TOML**: For Hugo, you might also need to handle TOML config files
### Alternative: Direct YAML Support (Feature Request)
If you frequently work with YAML files, consider creating a wrapper script that handles conversion automatically, or request YAML support as a feature for translator-ai.
## Development
### Building from source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/DatanoiseTV/translator-ai.git
cd translator-ai
npm install
npm run build
```
### Testing locally
```bash
npm start -- test.json -l es -o output.json
```
## License
This project requires attribution for both commercial and non-commercial use. See [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
## Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.
## Support
For issues, questions, or suggestions, please open an issue on [GitHub](https://github.com/DatanoiseTV/translator-ai/issues).
If you find this tool useful, consider supporting the development:
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