docs: capture todo - Translate Messages as a Nuxt i18n JSON editor

.planning/todos/pending/2026-10-07-translate-messages-as-nuxt-i18n-json-editor.md

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+---
+created: 2026-10-07T16:31:50.525Z
+title: Translate Messages as a Nuxt i18n JSON editor
+area: sm-translate-plugin
+severity: minor
+files:
+  - ../sm-translate-plugin/admin_settings.go
+  - modules/pact/capabilities.go (SettingsItem.Controller)
+  - ../examples/golem15-wintercms-starter/plugins/golem15/translate/Plugin.php (registerSettings: messages)
+---
+
+## Problem
+
+WinterCMS translate registers two settings entries: Locales and Messages. Messages
+manages CMS theme Twig strings such as `{{ 'x.y.z'|_ }}`, stored in a messages table.
+SummerCMS apps are headless and have no server-rendered theme strings, so the Go port
+(quick 261007-p4y) registers only Locales. The frontend strings live in the Nuxt app's
+i18n locale JSON files, which admins currently cannot edit.
+
+## Solution
+
+Integrate Nuxt i18n with the translate plugin as an i18n JSON editor, not a
+WinterCMS-style messages table:
+- admin screen edits per-locale message keys (nested JSON, one column per enabled
+  Locale), with missing-key highlighting against the default locale;
+- the backend serves the merged messages to the Nuxt app (e.g. a lazy-load endpoint
+  per locale that @nuxtjs/i18n can fetch), with the bundled JSON as fallback;
+- register as a second controller-link settings entry (`pact.SettingsItem.Controller`)
+  under the Translate category, next to Locales.
+Open questions: storage (DB rows vs. versioned JSON), how keys are discovered/synced
+from the Nuxt repo, caching and invalidation on edit.