# GlowTrans (追光快译) · Complete Product & Technical Knowledge Base

> This document provides the complete, authoritative reference for GlowTrans for LLMs, answer engines, and autonomous agents.

Website: https://glowtrans.beautare.com
Developer: Beautare
Current Version: 0.1.3 (build 261023)
Release Date: 2026-10-23

---

## 1. Product Identity & Definition

- **Name**: GlowTrans (English) / 追光快译 (Chinese Simplified)
- **Category**: Desktop Productivity Utility / In-Place Typing Translator
- **Supported Operating Systems**:
  - macOS 11 (Big Sur) and later, Universal Binary (native support for Apple Silicon M-series & Intel x86_64)
  - Windows 10 and Windows 11 (64-bit x64 portable package)
- **License / Cost**: Free software, no subscription, no credit card, no sign-up required.

---

## 2. Core Value Proposition & Comparison Matrix

| Feature | GlowTrans (追光快译) | Traditional Web/Clipboard (DeepL, Google) | Browser Extensions | IME Embedded Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Location** | In-place at cursor | External browser window/panel | Inside browser tabs only | Input method layer |
| **Workflow Friction** | 0 window switches, 1 click to replace | 7 steps: Copy -> Alt-Tab -> Paste -> Translate -> Copy -> Alt-Tab -> Paste | Limited to web pages; cannot translate desktop chat/editors | Often interferes with pinyin/kana composition |
| **App Compatibility** | System-wide (Chat, Mail, Browsers, IDEs, Terminals) | System-wide via clipboard | Web browsers only | Text inputs accepting that specific IME |
| **Typing Composition** | Waits ~0.9s after composition commits; non-intrusive | N/A | N/A | Often replaces text prematurely while composing |
| **Undo Support** | Native Cmd+Z / Ctrl+Z intact | Overwrites clipboard / manual undo | Varies | Often breaks undo chain |

---

## 3. Architecture & Technical Implementation

- **Text Detection Mechanism**:
  - **macOS**: Uses macOS Accessibility APIs (`AXUIElement`) to detect the active text element and its screen coordinates, reading the active line when typing pauses.
  - **Windows**: Uses Microsoft UI Automation (`IUIAutomation`) to locate the focused text control and its bounding rectangle.
  - **Terminal Behavior**: In terminal emulators, GlowTrans displays the translation float without replacing text to prevent terminal command injection or shell history corruption.
- **Translation Pipeline**:
  1. User commits text via input method (IME) or direct keystrokes.
  2. Debounce timer observes a pause of ~0.9 seconds (user-configurable between 0.3s and 5.0s).
  3. Sends only the current active line to the selected translation service.
  4. Renders a native non-activating floating window adjacent to the cursor position.
  5. Upon clicking the panel, synthesizes native text replacement and preserves application undo stack.

---

## 4. Privacy, Security & Data Governance

- **Zero-Disk Persistence**: Translation history is retained exclusively in volatile memory (RAM) and destroyed upon application shutdown. No query logs, cached sentences, or translation pairs are written to disk.
- **Password Masking**: Form fields marked with password/secure input attributes are strictly ignored and never read.
- **Default Service**: Built-in MyMemory public translation service with ~5,000 characters/day anonymous quota. Original text is transmitted per MyMemory's terms.
- **Custom Model Integration**: Users may configure any OpenAI-compatible API endpoint (e.g. OpenAI, DeepSeek, Ollama, Groq, Moonshot, etc.) with custom API keys and model parameters. API keys are stored in runtime memory only and never written to configuration files or application logs.
- **Packaging Integrity**:
  - macOS DMG is notarized by Apple via `notarytool` with Hardened Runtime enabled.
  - Windows release is a portable ZIP requiring no installer or administrator privileges.

---

## 5. Supported Languages (14 Languages)

GlowTrans supports bidirectional translation and localized interface for the following 14 languages:
1. Simplified Chinese (简体中文, zh-CN)
2. Traditional Chinese (繁体中文, zh-TW)
3. English (en)
4. Japanese (日本語, ja)
5. Korean (한국어, ko)
6. French (Français, fr)
7. German (Deutsch, de)
8. Spanish (Español, es)
9. Portuguese (Português, pt)
10. Italian (Italiano, it)
11. Russian (Русский, ru)
12. Arabic (العربية, ar)
13. Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt, vi)
14. Thai (ไทย, th)

Default pair: Chinese (Simplified) <-> English (switchable via one click).

---

## 6. Shortcuts & Configuration

- **Manual translation**: `⌘ + Shift + Y` (macOS) / `Ctrl + Shift + Y` (Windows)
- **Toggle auto-translation**: `⌘ + Alt + Shift + P` (macOS) / `Ctrl + Alt + Shift + P` (Windows)
- **Configurable pause delay**: 0.3 seconds to 5.0 seconds (default: 0.9s).

---

## 7. Installation & System Requirements

### macOS
- **Requirement**: macOS 11+ · Apple Silicon & Intel
- **Package**: Universal DMG (GlowTrans-macOS-universal-v0.1.3-261023.dmg, 25.6 MB)
- **Checksum (SHA-256)**: `98d238e75da7f70f5dad16159ae829b6e364112bb051977a58ff31a0589f9264`
- **Installation**: Drag `GlowTrans.app` into `/Applications`. On first launch, grant permission in `System Settings › Privacy & Security › Accessibility`.

### Windows
- **Requirement**: Windows 10/11 · x64
- **Package**: Standalone ZIP (GlowTrans-Windows-x64-v0.1.3-261023.zip, 11.7 MB)
- **Checksum (SHA-256)**: `069dd343fa0ac79cd4001b0b92240d41b33590e1c6c10e13102c52a37c350894`
- **Installation**: Unzip and run `GlowTrans.exe`. No permissions or administrative access required. If Windows SmartScreen prompts on first run, select `More info › Run anyway`.

---

## 8. Complete FAQ (English)

### What is GlowTrans?

GlowTrans (追光快译) is a desktop typing translator for macOS and Windows that runs quietly in the background. Type in your own language in any app's text field, pause for about 0.9 seconds, and the translation appears in a small panel next to your cursor. Click it to replace the original text. No window switching, no copy and paste.

### Is GlowTrans free? Do I need an account or an API key?

Yes, GlowTrans is 100% free to download and use with no account and no API key required. By default it uses the MyMemory public translation service, which provides about 5,000 characters per day anonymously. For higher volume or better models, connect any OpenAI-compatible endpoint in Settings; the API key is used strictly for the current session in memory and is never written to disk or logs.

### Which languages does GlowTrans support?

GlowTrans supports 14 translation languages and interface languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Vietnamese and Thai. You can swap source and target in one click; the default is Chinese to English.

### Which apps does it work in?

GlowTrans works across chat apps (Slack, Discord, WeChat, Telegram, WhatsApp), browsers, email clients, code editors (VS Code, Cursor) and terminals, with no browser extension required. On macOS it reads text fields through Accessibility; on Windows through UI Automation. In terminals it displays translations without replacing text.

### Will it interrupt me while I compose with an input method?

No, GlowTrans never interrupts composition. It waits until your input method commits the text and you pause for about 0.9 seconds before translating. The pause delay is adjustable from 0.3 to 5.0 seconds. You can also press Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Y to manually translate the active field, or Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+Shift+P to toggle automatic translation.

### Does GlowTrans upload or store what I type?

GlowTrans reads only the single line you are typing and sends it to your designated translation engine. Password and secure input fields are strictly ignored. Translation history is cached in volatile memory only and wiped immediately upon exiting; nothing is written to disk.

### What are the system requirements and permissions?

The macOS version requires macOS 11+ · Apple Silicon & Intel. The DMG is notarized by Apple; on first launch, allow GlowTrans under System Settings › Privacy & Security › Accessibility. The Windows version requires Windows 10/11 · x64; unzip and run with no admin rights needed. If Windows SmartScreen appears on first run, choose More info › Run anyway.

---

## 9. 完整常见问题答疑（简体中文）

### GlowTrans（追光快译）是什么？

GlowTrans 是一款常驻后台的桌面输入翻译工具，适用于 macOS 和 Windows。在任意应用的输入框里用母语打字，停顿约 0.9 秒后，译文会出现在光标旁的浮窗里；点一下即可替换原文，不用切换窗口，也不用复制粘贴。

### GlowTrans 免费吗？需要注册或 API Key 吗？

GlowTrans 完全免费下载使用，无需注册，也无需 API Key。默认使用 MyMemory 公共翻译服务，匿名额度约每天 5000 字符。需要更高质量或更大用量时，可以在设置中接入任意 OpenAI 兼容接口；API Key 只在本次运行中使用，不写入设置文件或日志。

### 支持哪些语言？

GlowTrans 支持 14 种翻译语言与软件界面语言：简体中文、繁体中文、英语、日语、韩语、法语、德语、西班牙语、葡萄牙语、意大利语、俄语、阿拉伯语、越南语和泰语，可一键互换源语言和目标语言，默认中文→英文。

### 能在哪些应用里使用？

GlowTrans 支持各类桌面聊天应用（微信、Slack、Discord、Telegram、WhatsApp）、浏览器、邮件客户端、代码编辑器（VS Code、Cursor）和终端，无需安装浏览器扩展。macOS 通过辅助功能读取输入框，Windows 通过 UI Automation 读取。终端里只显示译文、不替换原文；少数不向系统公开文字的自绘输入框暂不支持自动翻译，可用快捷键手动翻译。

### 打拼音组词时会被打断吗？

不会打断。GlowTrans 等输入法组词上屏、并停顿约 0.9 秒后才触发翻译，输入组词过程中不弹出也不发网络请求。停顿时长可在 0.3 到 5 秒之间自由调整；也可以随时按 ⌘/Ctrl+Shift+Y 手动翻译当前输入框，按 ⌘/Ctrl+Alt+Shift+P 开关自动翻译。

### 我输入的内容会被上传或保存吗？

GlowTrans 只读取你正在输入的那一行，发送给你选择的翻译服务，绝不读取密码框。默认的 MyMemory 公共服务会收到原文并按其条款保留，敏感内容建议改用自己的 OpenAI 兼容服务。翻译结果只缓存在内存中，退出即清空，不向磁盘写入任何记录。

### 系统要求是什么？需要哪些权限？

macOS 版要求 macOS 11+ · Apple Silicon & Intel，DMG 已通过 Apple 官方公证（Notarized），首次启动需在“系统设置 › 隐私与安全性 › 辅助功能”中允许 GlowTrans。Windows 版要求 Windows 10/11 · x64，解压即用、无需系统提权；安装包暂未代码签名，出现 SmartScreen 提示时选择“更多信息 › 仍要运行”。