Documentation

Complete guide to installing, using, and understanding Indic Transliterator

Installation

From Chrome Web Store (Recommended)

  1. Visit the Chrome Web Store
  2. Search for "Indic Transliterator"
  3. Click "Add to Chrome"
  4. Confirm the installation
  5. The extension will appear in your toolbar

Manual Installation (Developer Mode)

  1. Download the extension files from GitHub
  2. Open Chrome and go to chrome://extensions/
  3. Enable "Developer mode" in the top right
  4. Click "Load unpacked" and select the extension folder
  5. The extension will be installed and ready to use
Note: Manual installation is recommended for developers who want to modify the extension or test it before publishing.

Usage Guide

Basic Usage

  1. Open the Extension: Click the extension icon in your Chrome toolbar
  2. Select Target Script: Choose your desired script from the dropdown menu
  3. Enable Transliteration: Click "Enable" to start transliterating the current page
  4. Browse Normally: The extension will automatically convert text as you browse
  5. Disable When Done: Click "Disable" to revert all changes

Context Menu Usage

  1. Select Text: Highlight any text on a webpage
  2. Right-click: Open the context menu
  3. Choose Script: Select "Transliterate to..." and choose your target script
  4. Instant Conversion: The selected text will be instantly converted

Supported Websites

The extension works on all websites, including:

  • News websites and blogs
  • Social media platforms
  • E-commerce sites
  • Educational platforms
  • Any website with text content

Supported Scripts

Script Language Example Unicode Range
देवनागरी (Devanagari) Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit नमस्ते U+0900-U+097F
বাংলা (Bengali) Bengali, Assamese হ্যালো U+0980-U+09FF
ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada) Kannada ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ U+0C80-U+0CFF
తెలుగు (Telugu) Telugu నమస్కారం U+0C00-U+0C7F
தமிழ் (Tamil) Tamil வணக்கம் U+0B80-U+0BFF
മലയാളം (Malayalam) Malayalam നമസ്കാരം U+0D00-U+0D7F
ગુજરાતી (Gujarati) Gujarati નમસ્તે U+0A80-U+0AFF
ଓଡ଼ିଆ (Oriya) Odia ନମସ୍କାର U+0B00-U+0B7F
ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ (Gurmukhi) Punjabi ਸਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ U+0A00-U+0A7F

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Extension not working on certain websites

Solution: Some websites use complex JavaScript frameworks that may interfere with the extension. Try refreshing the page or using the context menu method instead.

Text not converting properly

Solution: Ensure the text contains Latin characters that can be transliterated. The extension only converts Latin script to Indic scripts.

Extension icon not appearing

Solution: Check if the extension is enabled in Chrome's extension manager. You may need to pin it to the toolbar.

Performance issues on large pages

Solution: The extension processes all text nodes on the page. For very large pages, consider using the context menu method for specific text selection.

Getting Help

  • Check the GitHub Issues page
  • Create a new issue with detailed information
  • Include your Chrome version and steps to reproduce
  • Contact the developer through the Contact page

Technical Details

Architecture

  • Manifest V3: Built using the latest Chrome extension architecture
  • Service Worker: Background script for handling transliteration requests
  • Content Script: Injects into web pages for DOM manipulation
  • Popup Interface: User-friendly settings and controls

Transliteration Engine

  • Unicode-based: Uses Unicode character ranges for script detection
  • Client-side Processing: Works entirely offline with no external dependencies
  • Batch Optimization: Processes multiple text nodes efficiently
  • Language Detection: Automatically detects source script

Key Components

  • background.js: Service worker handling transliteration logic
  • content.js: Content script for page interaction
  • popup/: User interface components
  • manifest.json: Extension configuration

Development

Project Structure

indic-transliterator/
├── manifest.json          # Extension configuration
├── background.js          # Service worker
├── content.js            # Content script
├── popup/                # Popup interface
│   ├── popup.html       # Popup markup
│   ├── popup.js         # Popup logic
│   └── styles.css       # Popup styling
├── _locales/            # Internationalization
│   └── en/
│       └── messages.json
└── icons/               # Extension icons
    └── icon_48.png

Building and Testing

  1. Clone the repository
  2. Make your changes to the source code
  3. Go to chrome://extensions/
  4. Click the refresh icon on the extension card
  5. Test your changes on any webpage

Debugging

  • Open Chrome DevTools
  • Check the Console tab for extension logs
  • Use the "Test Transliteration" button in the popup for debugging
  • Inspect the background script in the Extensions page

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please feel free to:

  • Fork the repository
  • Create a feature branch
  • Make your changes
  • Submit a pull request