Proposal: Intelligent CLI for i18n Extraction and AI-Powered Translation in CAP Projects

[Fab2295]

Proposed CLI Feature for SAP CAP i18n

I’d like to propose a new feature for a CLI tool designed for SAP CAP projects that can significantly streamline i18n (internationalization) management.

The idea is simple but powerful:

• Scan JavaScript code in a CAP project (*.js) to automatically identify all points where messages are used, such as:

  • cds.i18n.messages.at()
  • cds.i18n.label.at()
  • throw new Error()
  • req.error() / `req.reject() / ...

• Generate or update i18n files for the desired languages based on the messages found in the code.

• Optional AI integration: Allow sending messages to an AI (like GPT or Joule) to:

  • Translate messages automatically
  • Suggest contextual messages
  • Generate messages from scratch based on the code context

Example JavaScript Usage

The CLI would detect messages like 'Mandatory field', update the relevant i18n files (en.json, pt-BR.json), and optionally send them to AI to generate smarter translations or context-aware messages.

function verifyMandatoryFields(req) {
   if(!req.data.field1) {
       req.error('Mandatory field') // or throw new Error('msg'), req.reject, etc.
   }
}

Message Extraction Example

The CLI will extract the text 'Mandatory field' and generate an entry in the i18n or messages file, for example:

project-root/
├── srv/
│ └── handlers/
│ └── verifyFields.js
└── i18n/
  └── messages.properties

with entry:

ERROR_MESSAGE_FIELD1=Mandatory field

Example CLI Usage

cds-i18n --in ./srv --out ./i18n --lang en,pt-BR --ai

or

cds-i18n --config ./config-i18n.json

CLI Options Explanation

Option	Alias	Description
--in	-i	Path to the directory containing the JavaScript (*.js) files to scan for messages. Example: ./srv
--out	-o	Path to the output directory where the generated or updated i18n files will be saved. Example: ./i18n
--lang	-l	Comma-separated list of languages for which to generate i18n files. Example: en,pt-BR
--ai	N/A	Optional flag to send detected messages to an AI (like GPT or SAP Joule) for translation, context-aware suggestions, or message generation from scratch.
--config	-c	Path to a JSON configuration file containing all CLI options in one place, including input, output, languages, AI settings, and other flags. Example: ./cds-i18n-config.json

Configuration Example for i18n

You can configure the CLI using a JSON file to manage i18n extraction and AI-assisted translation. Here's an example:

{
  "input": "./srv",
  "output": "./i18n",
  "languages": ["pt-BR", "en", "es"],
  "ai": {
    "provider": "openai",
    "model": "gpt-4o-mini",
    "apiKey": "env:OPENAI_API_KEY"
  },
  "replaceOriginalText": true
}

Basic real CLI example for cds-i18n

It's just a prototype

Does this idea seem feasible to you? Would it make sense in a real SAP CAP project workflow?