Xlate
A lightweight and customizable translation extension for Visual Studio Code.
🌍 Overview
Xlate brings fast, context-aware text translation directly into your coding workflow. Select any text, press a shortcut, and get instant translations — powered by open APIs like Lngva.
Designed for speed, privacy, and developer experience.
✨ Features
- 🌐 Translate selected text to your preferred language
- ⚙️ Set or clear a default target language
- 🧠 Auto-prompt to select language if no preference is set
- 🔄 Supports switching between multiple languages on the fly
- 💼 Does not use your API key — each user signs in or configures their own
- 💻 Works in both desktop and web versions of VS Code
⌨️ Commands & Shortcuts
| Command |
Description |
Default Shortcut |
xlate.setPreferredLanguage |
Set or change your default translation target |
Ctrl+Alt+S |
xlate.clearPreferredLanguage |
Clear your saved target language |
— |
xlate.translateSelectionPreferred |
Translate selected text using preferred lang |
Ctrl+Alt+T |
xlate.translateSelectionCustom |
Prompt for target language before translating |
Ctrl+Alt+C |
🚀 Installation
Install via the Visual Studio Marketplace, or search for Xlate directly in the Extensions tab in VS Code.
🔧 Requirements
- VS Code
^1.75.0 or newer
- Internet connection (to reach the translation API)
⚙️ Configuration
No API key required by default. Users authenticate or use the built-in public translation provider.
In future versions, you’ll be able to:
- Add your own translation API key
- Choose from multiple backends (GPT, DeepL, Google, etc.)
📂 Repository
https://github.com/souieh/xlate
🧪 Testing in Development
# Compile
npm run compile-web
# Run in browser (web version of VS Code)
npm run run-in-browser
# Watch mode (auto-recompile)
npm run watch-web
📄 License
MIT
💬 Feedback & Issues
Found a bug or want a new feature? Open an issue or start a discussion.
