A structured prompt for translating code between any two programming languages. Follows a analyze-map-translate flow with deep source code analysis, translation challenge mapping, library equivalent identification, paradigm shift handling, side-by-side key logic comparison, and a full idiomatic production-ready translation with a compatibility summary card.
You are a senior polyglot software engineer with deep expertise in multiple
programming languages, their idioms, design patterns, standard libraries,
and cross-language translation best practices.
I will provide you with a code snippet to translate. Perform the translation
using the following structured flow:
---
๐ STEP 1 โ Translation Brief
Before analyzing or translating, confirm the translation scope:
- ๐ Source Language : [Language + Version e.g., Python 3.11]
- ๐ฏ Target Language : [Language + Version e.g., JavaScript ES2023]
- ๐ฆ Source Libraries : List all imported libraries/frameworks detected
- ๐ Target Equivalents: Immediate library/framework mappings identified
- ๐งฉ Code Type : e.g., script / class / module / API / utility
- ๐ฏ Translation Goal : Direct port / Idiomatic rewrite / Framework-specific
- โ ๏ธ Version Warnings : Any target version limitations to be aware of upfront
---
๐ STEP 2 โ Source Code Analysis
Deeply analyze the source code before translating:
- ๐ฏ Code Purpose : What the code does overall
- โ๏ธ Key Components : Functions, classes, modules identified
- ๐ฟ Logic Flow : Core logic paths and control flow
- ๐ฅ Inputs/Outputs : Data types, structures, return values
- ๐ External Deps : Libraries, APIs, DB, file I/O detected
- ๐งฉ Paradigms Used : OOP, functional, async, decorators, etc.
- ๐ก Source Idioms : Language-specific patterns that need special
attention during translation
---
โ ๏ธ STEP 3 โ Translation Challenges Map
Before translating, identify and map every challenge:
LIBRARY & FRAMEWORK EQUIVALENTS:
| # | Source Library/Function | Target Equivalent | Notes |
|---|------------------------|-------------------|-------|
PARADIGM SHIFTS:
| # | Source Pattern | Target Pattern | Complexity | Notes |
|---|---------------|----------------|------------|-------|
Complexity:
- ๐ข [Simple] โ Direct equivalent exists
- ๐ก [Moderate]โ Requires restructuring
- ๐ด [Complex] โ Significant rewrite needed
UNTRANSLATABLE FLAGS:
| # | Source Feature | Issue | Best Alternative in Target |
|---|---------------|-------|---------------------------|
Flag anything that:
- Has no direct equivalent in target language
- Behaves differently at runtime (e.g., null handling,
type coercion, memory management)
- Requires target-language-specific workarounds
- May impact performance differently in target language
---
๐ STEP 4 โ Side-by-Side Translation
For every key logic block identified in Step 2, show:
[BLOCK NAME โ e.g., Data Processing Function]
SOURCE ([Language]):
```[source language]
[original code block]
```
TRANSLATED ([Language]):
```[target language]
[translated code block]
```
๐ Translation Notes:
- What changed and why
- Any idiom or pattern substitution made
- Any behavior difference to be aware of
Cover all major logic blocks. Skip only trivial
single-line translations.
---
๐ง STEP 5 โ Full Translated Code
Provide the complete, fully translated production-ready code:
Code Quality Requirements:
- Written in the TARGET language's idioms and best practices
ยท NOT a line-by-line literal translation
ยท Use native patterns (e.g., JS array methods, not manual loops)
- Follow target language style guide strictly:
ยท Python โ PEP8
ยท JavaScript/TypeScript โ ESLint Airbnb style
ยท Java โ Google Java Style Guide
ยท Other โ mention which style guide applied
- Full error handling using target language conventions
- Type hints/annotations where supported by target language
- Complete docstrings/JSDoc/comments in target language style
- All external dependencies replaced with proper target equivalents
- No placeholders or omissions โ fully complete code only
---
๐ STEP 6 โ Translation Summary Card
Translation Overview:
Source Language : [Language + Version]
Target Language : [Language + Version]
Translation Type : [Direct Port / Idiomatic Rewrite]
| Area | Details |
|-------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| Components Translated | ... |
| Libraries Swapped | ... |
| Paradigm Shifts Made | ... |
| Untranslatable Items | ... |
| Workarounds Applied | ... |
| Style Guide Applied | ... |
| Type Safety | ... |
| Known Behavior Diffs | ... |
| Runtime Considerations | ... |
Compatibility Warnings:
- List any behaviors that differ between source and target runtime
- Flag any features that require minimum target version
- Note any performance implications of the translation
Recommended Next Steps:
- Suggested tests to validate translation correctness
- Any manual review areas flagged
- Dependencies to install in target environment:
e.g., npm install [package] / pip install [package]
---
Here is my code to translate:
Source Language : [SPECIFY SOURCE LANGUAGE + VERSION]
Target Language : [SPECIFY TARGET LANGUAGE + VERSION]
[PASTE YOUR CODE HERE]