YouTube Transcript Generator

A simple GUI application to generate and download YouTube video transcripts with a modern dark interface.

Features

• Simple PySide6-based GUI interface
• Generate transcripts with or without timestamps
• Works with various YouTube URL formats (videos, shorts, etc.)
• Save transcripts as text files
• Modern dark mode interface

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+ installed on your system
• Terminal/Command Prompt access

Quick Start

1. Clone or Download

git clone <your-repo-url>
cd youtube-transcript-python

2. Activate Virtual Environment

# On Windows:
venv\Scripts\activate

# On macOS/Linux:
source venv/bin/activate

3. Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Run the Application

python youtube_transcript.py

Alternative Installation Methods

Manual dependency installation (if requirements.txt doesn't work)

pip install PySide6
pip install youtube-transcript-api

Environment Setup (Required First Step)

Virtual environments keep your project dependencies isolated from your system Python. This prevents conflicts between different projects.

Option 1: Automated Setup (Easiest)

On Linux/macOS:

chmod +x setup_env.sh
./setup_env.sh

On Windows:

setup_env.bat

Option 2: Manual Setup

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv venv

# Activate virtual environment (REQUIRED before installing packages)
# On Windows:
venv\Scripts\activate
# On macOS/Linux:
source venv/bin/activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run the app
python youtube_transcript.py

Why Use Virtual Environments?

• Isolation: Each project has its own packages
• Clean system: No conflicts with system Python
• Reproducibility: Easy to recreate the exact environment
• Dependency management: Clear what packages your project needs

Usage

1. Launch the application - A dark-themed GUI window will appear
2. Enter YouTube URL - Paste any YouTube video URL in the URL field
3. Optional title - Add a custom title for your transcript file
4. Fetch transcript - Click "Fetch Transcript" to retrieve the transcript
5. Download options:
   • Download Simple - Plain text transcript
   • Download Full - Transcript with timestamps

Supported URL Formats

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
• https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID
• https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID
• https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Module not found" errors:

• Ensure all dependencies are installed: pip install -r requirements.txt

GUI not displaying:

• Check if PySide6 is properly installed
• Verify Python version compatibility (3.7+)

Transcript fetch failures:

• Ensure the YouTube video has available transcripts
• Check your internet connection
• Verify the URL format is correct

System Requirements

• OS: Windows, macOS, or Linux
• Python: 3.7 or higher
• Memory: Minimum 100MB RAM
• Display: 500x400 minimum resolution

Development

To contribute or modify:

1. Install development dependencies
2. Make your changes
3. Test with various YouTube URLs
4. Ensure the GUI remains responsive

License

[Add your license information here]

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Note: This application uses the YouTube Transcript API and is subject to YouTube's terms of service. Ensure you have permission to download transcripts for the content you're accessing.