Baidu Text Translate

baidu_text_translate — Agent Reference

trans text wraps the Baidu AI Translation API. Use --json — it separates success (stdout) from errors (stderr) and gives you structured fields to act on.

trans text --json "你好世界"                             # auto-detect → English
trans text --json --from zh --to jp "你好"               # explicit languages
trans text --json --to fra --reference "使用正式语气" "你好"  # custom instruction
echo "早上好" | trans text --json                        # stdin pipe

Environment Diagnosis

Before translating, verify the environment with trans doctor:

trans doctor           # human-readable output
trans doctor --json    # JSON output for Agent parsing

JSON contract (stdout):

{
  "checks": [
    {"name":"api_key",     "ok":true,  "source":"env/config", "message":"configured"},
    {"name":"connectivity","ok":true,  "latency_ms":243,       "message":"reachable"},
    {"name":"account",     "ok":true,                          "message":"valid"}
  ],
  "all_ok": true
}

| Exit | all_ok | Meaning | |------|----------|---------| | 0 | true | All checks passed — ready to translate | | 2 | false | At least one check failed — inspect checks[].ok |

When a check fails, help_url in the failing check points to the fix:

Run trans doctor --json as the first step when diagnosing any trans-cli failure.

JSON Contract

Success (stdout, exit 0):

{"from":"zh","to":"en","source":"你好","translated":"Hello"}

| Field | Note | |-------|------| | from | API-detected language — may differ from --from auto | | to | Target language | | source | Original input | | translated | Result |

Error (stderr, exit ≠ 0):

{"code":"AUTH_FAILED","message":"…","help_url":"https://…","raw_code":"52001"}

help_url and raw_code are omitted when not applicable.

Error Decision Tree

| Exit | code | Cause | Action | |------|--------|-------|--------| | 0 | — | OK | Use translated | | 1 | INVALID_INPUT | Empty text | Fix input, don't retry | | 1 | INVALID_LANGUAGE | Wrong lang code (e.g. ja → should be jp) | Fix --to/--from, see Language Codes below | | 2 | CONFIG_MISSING | TRANS_API_KEY not set | Stop — run trans doctor --json then guide user to set up API key | | 2 | AUTH_FAILED | Key invalid/expired (raw_code 52001–52003) | Stop — run trans doctor --json then guide user to API key page | | 3 | QUOTA_EXCEEDED | Balance = 0 | Stop — guide user to recharge (see below) | | 3 | RATE_LIMITED | QPS exceeded | Wait 1 s, retry once | | 3 | API_ERROR | Unexpected API error | Retry once; if persists, report raw_code + message | | 4 | NETWORK_ERROR | No connectivity | Retry twice with 2 s gap; if persists, report |

Exit 2 requires human intervention — the agent cannot fix auth or config. Exit 1 means the agent passed bad arguments — fix the call, not the environment.

Language Codes

Baidu does not follow ISO 639. When unsure of a code, query locally:

trans languages                    # full list (200+ languages)
trans languages --filter jp        # search by code
trans languages --filter 日语      # search by name
trans languages --json             # JSON output for Agent parsing

The six most common ISO traps:

| Baidu (correct) | ISO (wrong for Baidu) | Language | |-----------------|----------------------|----------| | jp | ja | Japanese | | kor | ko | Korean | | fra | fr | French | | spa | es | Spanish | | ara | ar | Arabic | | vie | vi | Vietnamese |

Other common codes that match ISO: zh cht en ru de pt it nl hi th Use auto for source-language auto-detection.

Configuration

Priority: --api-key flag > TRANS_API_KEY env > ~/.trans-cli/config.json

Config file field: api_key.

trans config init               # create empty config skeleton (~/.trans-cli/config.json)
trans config init --force       # overwrite existing config
trans config set api_key   # write api_key (creates file if absent)

Getting an API Key (First-Time Setup)

Guide the user through these steps — the agent cannot do this on their behalf:

1. Open the Baidu Translation Open Platform and sign in: 2. Go to Developer Center: 3. Click "Use Now" → select "General Translation" → complete identity verification 4. Get your API Key: 5. Write to config: trans config set api_key or set the environment variable TRANS_API_KEY 6. Verify: trans doctor --json — all_ok:true means success

Recharging (QUOTA_EXCEEDED)

Recharge portal: Takes effect immediately — no restart needed. Auto-renewal can be enabled on the same page. Usage details:

Non-Obvious Behaviours

Priority: --api-key flag > TRANS_API_KEY env > ~/.trans-cli/config.json

Config file field: api_key.

trans config init               # create empty config skeleton (~/.trans-cli/config.json)
trans config init --force       # overwrite existing config
trans config set api_key   # write api_key (creates file if absent)