better-translation

name	better-translation
description	Apply Better Translation markers and runtime setup in Vite Consumer apps. Use when installing or adopting Better Translation, marking UI copy with T, Var, useT, getT, or createT, reviewing new translatable code, or refreshing generated Locale values with bt generate.

Better Translation

Better Translation is a Vite plugin and runtime helper package. It scans Translation markers in a Consumer app, creates Messages with stable lookup ids, writes or syncs Locale values, and exposes flat Runtime bundles through better-translation/messages.

Before Editing

1. Inspect the Consumer app framework, Vite config, package manager, and existing Better Translation setup before adding new patterns.
2. Keep the Vite plugin before React, SvelteKit, TanStack Start, or other framework plugins.
3. Preserve local or remote runtime mode. Local mode owns generated Locale value files in the repo; remote mode syncs the Manifest to the hosted platform and reads hosted Runtime bundles.
4. Do not add editor metadata, source locations, Manifest details, or status objects to Runtime bundles. Runtime bundles are flat lookup id -> translated string maps.

Installing In An Existing Vite App

1. Install better-translation with the repo's package manager.
2. Add betterTranslation() to vite.config.ts with locales and defaultLocale.
3. Load loadMessages(locale) from better-translation/messages at the app's route or layout boundary.
4. Wrap rendered UI in the framework provider: TranslateProvider from better-translation/react or better-translation/svelte.
5. Convert existing UI route by route or component by component. Keep behavior and layout unchanged while replacing authored copy with Translation markers.
6. Run bt generate after each meaningful batch, then run the app's normal format, lint, typecheck, and test commands.

Marking React Copy

Use T for component children that are already JSX copy:

import { T } from "better-translation/react"

export function CheckoutButton() {
  return (
    <button>
      <T>Pay now</T>
    </button>
  )
}

Use Var inside T for runtime values inside a sentence. The prop name becomes the placeholder name:

import { T, Var } from "better-translation/react"

export function InviteMessage({ user }: { user: { email: string } }) {
  return (
    <T>
      Invite <Var email={user.email} /> to the Project
    </T>
  )
}

Use useT() for plain strings in attributes, labels, titles, form errors, toasts, and callbacks:

import { useT } from "better-translation/react"

export function SearchInput() {
  const t = useT()

  return <input aria-label={t("Search Projects")} placeholder={t("Search...")} />
}

For plain strings with values, use {name} placeholders:

t("Invite {email}", { email: user.email }, { context: "Invitation dialog title" })

Marking Svelte Copy

Use T and Var from better-translation/svelte for component copy. Use getT() for attributes, labels, titles, form errors, and callbacks.

<script lang="ts">
  import { T, Var, getT } from "better-translation/svelte"

  const t = getT()
</script>

<T>
  Invite <Var email={user.email} /> to the Project
</T>

<input aria-label={t("Search Projects")} />

Server And Metadata Copy

Use createT(messages) from better-translation/runtime when copy is produced outside a rendered component tree, such as route metadata, SSR-only code, or server helpers.

import { createT } from "better-translation/runtime"

const t = createT(messages)

t("{name} settings", { name: project.name }, { context: "Page title" })

Marker Rules

• Keep each T body as the smallest complete Message a translator should see.
• Keep layout-only markup outside T.
• Keep meaningful runtime values inside the Message with Var, not by concatenating translated strings.
• Do not put arbitrary runtime expressions directly inside T; use Var, useT, getT, or separate static Messages for finite variants.
• Add context for short, ambiguous, or tone-sensitive Messages.
• Use explicit id only when external code needs a stable lookup id independent of source copy.
• Preserve generated id, message, and values props on existing markers. For new markers, prefer source-first code and let bt generate add generated metadata.

Finishing Work

1. Run bt generate or better-translation generate after adding, editing, or removing Translation markers.
2. Commit local-mode generated Locale value changes with the source change.
3. If a production build check says Locale files are stale, regenerate rather than editing generated lookup ids by hand.
4. Re-scan changed files before finishing and make sure no new user-facing copy was left unmarked unless it is intentionally not translatable.