Commands

The Algebras CLI provides several commands to manage your localization workflow. This reference covers all available commands and their options.

Command Overview

Command	Description
`init`	Initialize or regenerate configuration
`add`	Add languages to your project
`remove`	Remove languages from your project
`translate`	Translate source files to target languages
`update`	Update existing translations
`status`	Show project status and configuration
`configure`	Configure CLI settings
`ci`	CI-friendly command for automated workflows

init

Initialize or regenerate your Algebras configuration.

Usage

algebras init [options]

Options

--force - Force regeneration of configuration file

Examples

# Initialize new project
algebras init

# Regenerate existing configuration
algebras init --force

What it does

Creates .algebras.config file
Detects source files in your project
Sets up default configuration
Prompts for language selection

add

Add languages to your project configuration.

Usage

algebras add <language1> [language2] [language3] ...

Examples

# Add single language
algebras add es

# Add multiple languages
algebras add es fr de

# Add language with region
algebras add pt_BR zh_CN

Supported Language Codes

Common language codes include:

es - Spanish
fr - French
de - German
pt_BR - Brazilian Portuguese
zh_CN - Simplified Chinese
ja - Japanese
ko - Korean
ru - Russian
ar - Arabic

remove

Remove languages from your project configuration.

Usage

algebras remove <language1> [language2] [language3] ...

Examples

# Remove single language
algebras remove es

# Remove multiple languages
algebras remove es fr

translate

Translate source files to target languages.

Usage

algebras translate [options]

Options

--only-missing - Only translate missing keys
--ui-safe - Ensure translations don’t exceed original text length
--batch-size <number> - Number of translations per batch (default: 20)
--max-parallel-batches <number> - Maximum parallel batches (default: 5)
--glossary-id <id> - Use specific glossary for translation
--prompt-file <file> - Use custom prompt from file
--prompt <text> - Use custom prompt text

Examples

# Basic translation
algebras translate

# UI-safe translation
algebras translate --ui-safe

# Use custom batch size
algebras translate --batch-size 10

# Use glossary
algebras translate --glossary-id glossary-123

# Custom prompt
algebras translate --prompt "Translate to {target_language} maintaining a professional tone"

# Only missing translations
algebras translate --only-missing

update

Update existing translations based on source file changes.

Usage

algebras update [options]

Options

Same as translate command.

Examples

# Update all translations
algebras update

# UI-safe update
algebras update --ui-safe

# Update with custom settings
algebras update --batch-size 15 --max-parallel-batches 2

status

Show project status and configuration information.

Usage

algebras status

Output

Shows:

Configured languages
Source files detected
API configuration
Recent translation history
Configuration validation status

Example Output

Algebras CLI Status
==================

Languages: en, es, fr, de
Source Files: 3 files detected
API Provider: algebras-ai
Model: gpt-4

Configuration: ✓ Valid
Last Translation: 2025-01-12 14:30:00

configure

Configure CLI settings and defaults.

Usage

algebras configure [options]

Options

--batch-size <number> - Set default batch size
--max-parallel-batches <number> - Set default max parallel batches
--prompt <text> - Set default prompt
--normalize-strings <true|false> - Enable/disable string normalization

Examples

# Set batch size
algebras configure --batch-size 15

# Set multiple options
algebras configure --batch-size 10 --max-parallel-batches 3

# Set default prompt
algebras configure --prompt "Translate to {target_language} maintaining a professional tone"

# Enable string normalization
algebras configure --normalize-strings true

ci

CI-friendly command for automated workflows.

Usage

algebras ci [options]

Options

Same as translate command, plus:

--fail-on-error - Exit with error code on translation failures
--quiet - Suppress non-essential output

Examples

# CI translation with error handling
algebras ci --fail-on-error --quiet

# CI update with custom settings
algebras ci --only-missing --ui-safe --fail-on-error

Global Options

All commands support these global options:

--help - Show help message
--version - Show version information
--verbose - Enable verbose output
--config <file> - Use custom config file

Examples

# Show help for translate command
algebras translate --help

# Use custom config file
algebras translate --config custom-config.yaml

# Verbose output
algebras translate --verbose

Environment Variables

The CLI respects these environment variables:

ALGEBRAS_API_KEY - Your API key (required)
ALGEBRAS_BASE_URL - Custom API base URL
ALGEBRAS_BATCH_SIZE - Default batch size
ALGEBRAS_MAX_PARALLEL_BATCHES - Default max parallel batches

Command Workflow Examples

Basic Translation Workflow

# 1. Initialize project
algebras init

# 2. Add languages
algebras add es fr de

# 3. Translate files
algebras translate

# 4. Check status
algebras status

Advanced Workflow with Custom Settings

# 1. Configure defaults
algebras configure --batch-size 10 --max-parallel-batches 2

# 2. Translate with UI-safe mode
algebras translate --ui-safe --glossary-id tech-terms

# 3. Update only missing translations
algebras update --only-missing

CI/CD Integration

# In your CI pipeline
algebras ci --only-missing --fail-on-error --quiet

Troubleshooting Commands

Check Configuration

algebras status

Validate Setup

algebras init --force
algebras status

Test Translation

algebras translate --verbose

Next Steps

Advanced Features - Explore glossaries, batch processing, and Git integration
Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
Configuration - Detailed configuration options