Read Markdown Translator

A Kiro / VS Code extension that opens .md files in a rendered preview and translates the content into any supported language — without leaving the editor.

By default a .md file opens as a full rendered preview (no editor). Double-clicking the preview enters Edit Mode (split view: source editor on the left, translated preview on the right). The file on disk always stays in the Storage language (default English); the Target language is an in-memory display transform.

Features

• Rendered CommonMark + GFM preview (headings, lists, tables, fenced/inline code, links, images).
• Translation in two modes: on-demand (a Translate button) and automatic (on open / after edits settle).
• Pluggable translation providers: DeepL, Google Translate, or a custom https:// endpoint.
• Hover any block to see the reverse translation; edit a paragraph (original ↔ translation auto-sync) and save it back.
• Export the translated document as {name}.{lang}.md.
• In-session LRU translation cache (50 entries); code, inline code and URLs are never sent to the translation API.
• API keys stored only in the IDE SecretStorage / OS keychain, per provider (never in workspace config).
• English UI; all configuration lives in the standard VS Code settings page.

Install

Build the .vsix and install it:

npm install
npm run package          # produces kiro-md-translator-plugin-<version>.vsix

Then in the IDE: Extensions → "Install from VSIX…" → select the file (or code --install-extension kiro-md-translator-plugin-<version>.vsix).

Settings

All settings live in the standard VS Code settings page — open it with the command "Markdown Translator: Settings" (kiro-md-translator.openSettings) or via Extensions → gear → Settings (@ext:VladimirTroyanenko.kiro-md-translator-plugin). There is no separate settings window.

• Provider Type — DeepL, Google, or a custom https:// endpoint. Its description hosts per-provider Set key and Test connection command links.
• API keys — click Set key for a provider to enter its key in a masked input box; keys are stored only in the OS keychain (per provider), never in settings.json. Test connection runs a live check and reports success/failure as a notification. (Both are also available from the Command Palette: "Markdown Translator: Set API Key" / "Test Connection".)
• Storage / Target Language — language codes. Storage must be a base code (e.g. en); Target may be regional (e.g. en-US). Leave Target empty to disable translation.
• Custom Endpoint — base URL for the custom provider (used only when Provider Type is custom).
• Translation Mode — on-demand (Translate button) or automatic (on open / after edits).

Development

npm run typecheck    # tsc --noEmit (src/ only)
npm test             # vitest run — unit + property tests
npm run build        # esbuild → out/extension.js + out/webview/*.js
npm run package      # build + vsce package → .vsix

Run a single test: npx vitest run test/<file>.test.ts or npx vitest run -t "<name>".

The project is spec-driven: the authoritative source is .kiro/specs/kiro-md-translator-plugin/{requirements.md,design.md,tasks.md}. Architecture notes, conventions, and the (important) vscode-is-mocked-in-tests detail live in CLAUDE.md. An implementation/verification journal is in .ai_docs/INDEX.md.

Status

Verified: type-check, the unit/property test suite, and esbuild bundling. The mandatory test set (spec Properties P1–P3, P8–P12 and the data-integrity / memory / reverse-cache units) passes; the remaining *-marked timing/UI/e2e tests in tasks.md are optional and not yet implemented. The extension has been iterated inside a live Kiro host (custom-editor preview, DeepL translation, native settings); providers are unit-tested against mocked HTTP (no live DeepL/Google calls in CI).

License

MIT — see the LICENSE file.