STranslate is a desktop application that combines translation, optical character recognition (OCR), QR code decoding, and silent text-to-speech into a single tool for processing text on screen. It functions as a multi-source translation aggregator, sending queries to dozens of translation services simultaneously and displaying results side by side for comparison, while also offering OCR-based text extraction from images and QR code decoding from screen captures or files.
The application distinguishes itself through a comprehensive set of automation and integration capabilities. A global hotkey event system lets users trigger translation, OCR, and text-to-speech actions without needing application focus, while an incremental selection accumulator buffers text selections made during a drag operation and processes them as a single translation request on hotkey release. A plugin-based translation orchestrator coordinates multiple services through a unified interface, and a RESTful API gateway exposes translation, window management, and hotkey control through HTTP endpoints for external automation. A cached translation layer stores previous results for instant retrieval, with a force-fresh override available when needed.
Additional capabilities include silent audio playback for reading selected text aloud without opening any UI, and the ability to translate text extracted from images with the translation overlaid directly on the image itself. The application also supports opening its main interface, settings, or history page via API calls, and toggling global hotkeys programmatically.
