fkirc/attranslate

What it solves

It solves the problem of inefficient token usage and the risk of overwriting manual corrections when using AI agents to translate software localization files (JSON, YAML, XML, etc.).

How it works

attranslate acts as an offline helper that coordinates with an AI agent through a two-step process. First, it identifies only the missing translations in the target file and prints them as a list with specific instructions for the agent. Second, the agent provides the translated strings via a pipe, which attranslate then writes back into the target file without touching existing or manually corrected entries.

Who it’s for

Developers using AI coding agents to manage multi-language translation files for their projects.

Highlights

• Token Efficiency: Only sends missing strings to the agent rather than the entire file.
• Preservation: Never overwrites manual corrections made to the target translation files.
• Multi-format Support: Works with various formats including JSON, YAML, XML, PO, ARB, and CSV.
• CI/CD Ready: Exits with a non-zero code when translations are missing, allowing for automated detection in pipelines.