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Algebras

Getting Started

Welcome to Algebras! This guide will help you get up and running quickly with either our CLI tool or API. Choose the path that works best for your workflow.

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”

Before you begin, you’ll need:

  1. An Algebras account - Sign up here
  2. An API key - Create one here

Choose Your Path

Section titled “Choose Your Path”

CLI Quick Start

Perfect for developers who want to translate files locally and integrate with their build process.

API Quick Start

Ideal for developers building applications that need translation services programmatically.

Path 1: CLI Quick Start (5 minutes)

Section titled “Path 1: CLI Quick Start (5 minutes)”

The Algebras CLI is perfect for translating localization files in your project. Here’s how to get started:

Step 1: Install the CLI

Section titled “Step 1: Install the CLI”
Terminal window
pip install git+https://github.com/algebras-ai/algebras-cli.git

Step 2: Initialize Your Project

Section titled “Step 2: Initialize Your Project”
Terminal window
algebras init

This creates a .algebras.config file in your project root.

Step 3: Set Your API Key

Section titled “Step 3: Set Your API Key”
Terminal window
export ALGEBRAS_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Step 4: Add Languages

Section titled “Step 4: Add Languages”
Terminal window
algebras add es fr de

Step 5: Translate Your Files

Section titled “Step 5: Translate Your Files”
Terminal window
algebras translate

🎉 Success! Your files are now translated. Check the generated language directories.

Path 2: API Quick Start (2 minutes)

Section titled “Path 2: API Quick Start (2 minutes)”

Make your first translation request in just a few lines of code:

Step 1: Set Your API Key

Section titled “Step 1: Set Your API Key”
Terminal window
export ALGEBRAS_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Step 2: Make Your First Translation

Section titled “Step 2: Make Your First Translation”
Terminal window
curl -X POST "https://platform.algebras.ai/api/v1/translation/translate" \
     -H "X-Api-Key: $ALGEBRAS_API_KEY" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{
       "sourceLanguage": "auto",
       "targetLanguage": "es",
       "text": "Hello, world!"
     }'

Response:

{
  "status": "ok",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-12T22:31:48.856Z",
  "data": "¡Hola, mundo!"
}

🎉 Success! You’ve made your first translation!

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”

Now that you have the basics working, explore these advanced features:

For CLI Users

Section titled “For CLI Users”

For API Users

Section titled “For API Users”

Common Issues & Solutions

Section titled “Common Issues & Solutions”

”No Algebras configuration found”

Section titled “”No Algebras configuration found””

Solution: Run algebras init in your project directory.

”ALGEBRAS_API_KEY environment variable is not set”

Section titled “”ALGEBRAS_API_KEY environment variable is not set””

Solution: Export your API key: export ALGEBRAS_API_KEY=your_key

”Language ‘xx’ is not configured”

Section titled “”Language ‘xx’ is not configured””

Solution: Add the language: algebras add xx

”401 Unauthorized” API error

Section titled “”401 Unauthorized” API error”

Solution: Check that your API key is correct and properly set in the X-Api-Key header.

Translation quality issues

Section titled “Translation quality issues”

Solutions:

  • Use --ui-safe flag for UI-constrained translations
  • Upload a glossary for consistent terminology
  • Use custom prompts for specific requirements

Need Help?

Section titled “Need Help?”

Ready to dive deeper? Check out our CLI documentation or API examples for more advanced usage patterns.