Forum: Wordfast support
Topic: How best to deal with an updated source file once translation is underway? Using Wf Classic.
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: @Sheila
[quote]Sheila Wilson wrote:
This time though, the client has just notified me that he'll be sending a revised file tomorrow, and I've already spent a fair time working on the existing file. [/quote]
First, check the WFC user manual on how to disable segment protection. This will enable you to move your cursor to places outside of the active segment. You may wish to use this information.
But no, first, use MS Word to perform a tracked-changes comparison of the original file and the updated file, to see what has changed.
If you find chunks of text that have many changes in them, then copy those sections from the new file into the partially translated file (overwriting/deleting the existing uncleaned text in the partially translated file), and then retranslate them. Since you're a novice with regard to the segment markers, I'd recommend only replacing whole paragraphs or whole lists, while display of non-printing characters is enabled.
If you find sections where only small amounts of edits were made, then you can simply edit the target segments in the partially translated file directly, without opening and closing the segments. However, if you do that without also editing the source texts, you may find your TM getting populated with translations that don't match the source segments. So what I would do (if editing the source text is not feasible) would be to add e.g. "!!!" anywhere in the source text portions, so that the TM for those segment contain "!!!" to warn you that the translation is not a 100% match for the source text.
(Note that the TM is not updated automatically just because you've edited text in a segment. If you edit a segment without opening/closing it, then your edit does not end in in the TM. This is obvious, of course, but it may not be "obvious" to users of spreadsheet-type CAT tools like Trados 2009+ or MemoQ).
See if you can safely delete all text from the point where you've stopped in the partially translated file, and replace it with the new content. Then just continue translating.
Alternatively, you could simply start translating the new file against the existing TM. Whenever you discover a non-100% match, you might be able to see (e.g. using Ctrl+Alt+M to see the TM match) how you should re-segment that particular piece of text. Remember, you can close an unfinished segment using Alt+End (it saves the translation) or Alt+Delete (it does not save the translation, i.e. it reverts to the source text). You can also delete the translation of any segment by opening that segment and then pressing Alt+Delete. Then select the piece of text that you want to be in the segment, and press Shift+Alt+Down (I think).
(Opening a previous segment is done by making sure that there isn't actually currently an open segment, and then placing the cursor anywhere inside the source or target text of that previous segment and pressing Alt+Down. To check whether there is currently an open segment, and segment protection is ON, simply type "asdf" (if there is an open segment, the cursor will jump there). To check whether there is currently an open segment, and segment protection is OFF, press PgUp once (to move the cursor) and then press Alt+Down (if there is an open segment, the cursor will jump to it, but otherwise the text under the cursor till open as a segment). This may be too much information...)
[quote]- Can I edit the file I'm working on? [/quote]
What do you mean... "edit"? You're constantly "editing" the file while you translate it in WFC. (-:
You can edit text that you haven't translated yet. You can also edit source text and target text of any segment that you have already translated (but when you do that, your edits will not make it to the TM unless you perform a clean-up type of operation, or unless you open the segment and then close it again (Alt+Down on the segment, then Alt+End)).
Do not attempt to edit text in the already translated portions if you have hidden text disabled. It is important to see all the purple tags. Do not attempt to merge segments across purple tags. If you need to do that, first revert both segments to their source text (Alt+Down, Alt+Delete) and then merge them (select, and then Shift+Alt+Down).
If you break the purple tags, you can often fix them, especially if you have a slightly older version of the file from which to copy uncorrupted text.
[quote]- Can I just overwrite words in the source segment? [/quote]
Yes (if segment protection isn't on).
[quote]- Can I add new source segments? [/quote]
Yes, but Shift+Ctrl+Z (ResetChar) is your friend. It's generally easier to paste new text into among a patch of existing translated segments than to try to type new text in manually. Also enable the display of non-printing characters to ensure that no hard returns end up in purple style.
[quote]- What about the effect on those funny little half-sized things - are they called tags or markers or something? [/quote]
Segment markers. WFC will recognise them even if they're not purple (Trados 2007, on the other hand, wouldn't). Fix them when you break them. Or delete a corrupted paragraph and replace it from a slightly older, uncorrupted version of the file.
Sometimes a corruption will occur in which the text background is e.g. green or grey even after you've closed a segment. When this happens, just replace the corrupted chunk with an uncorrupted chunk from an older version of the file. But that's what you would do anyway, when editing in MS Word and something horrible happens to e.g. layout that you can't fix manually.
[quote]Whenever I inadvertently touch them all hell breaks loose and I lose hours. [/quote]
The segment starts with { 0 >
The segment ends with < 0 }
Between the source and target text is < } 0 { >
Spaces between segments are not included in the segment, so make sure that there is at least one non-purple space between segment if you fix manually.
You can fix segment markers when you break them. Select a whole chunk of text and use Shift+Ctrl+Z to remove all styles. WFC will fix them again (or not) when you press Alt+Down again.
Generally, stay away from them. If you edit text directly next to one of them while a segment is not open, use Shift+Ctrl+Z before you start typing (but this is a normal part of using MS Word).
==
If the client wants you to deliver a WFC uncleaned file, then obviously you can't use the "!!!" trick -- you have to edit both source text and target text of all changed segments.
I would normally recommend praying that there will be no more updates, and then simply translating the new file from the start. Whenever you get a non-100% match, you can see in the TM display (Ctrl+Alt+M, I think) what to do: fix the translation and move on, or close the segment (Alt+End) and resegment that piece of text manually.
[Edited at 2017-08-10 21:23 GMT]
Topic: How best to deal with an updated source file once translation is underway? Using Wf Classic.
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: @Sheila
[quote]Sheila Wilson wrote:
This time though, the client has just notified me that he'll be sending a revised file tomorrow, and I've already spent a fair time working on the existing file. [/quote]
First, check the WFC user manual on how to disable segment protection. This will enable you to move your cursor to places outside of the active segment. You may wish to use this information.
But no, first, use MS Word to perform a tracked-changes comparison of the original file and the updated file, to see what has changed.
If you find chunks of text that have many changes in them, then copy those sections from the new file into the partially translated file (overwriting/deleting the existing uncleaned text in the partially translated file), and then retranslate them. Since you're a novice with regard to the segment markers, I'd recommend only replacing whole paragraphs or whole lists, while display of non-printing characters is enabled.
If you find sections where only small amounts of edits were made, then you can simply edit the target segments in the partially translated file directly, without opening and closing the segments. However, if you do that without also editing the source texts, you may find your TM getting populated with translations that don't match the source segments. So what I would do (if editing the source text is not feasible) would be to add e.g. "!!!" anywhere in the source text portions, so that the TM for those segment contain "!!!" to warn you that the translation is not a 100% match for the source text.
(Note that the TM is not updated automatically just because you've edited text in a segment. If you edit a segment without opening/closing it, then your edit does not end in in the TM. This is obvious, of course, but it may not be "obvious" to users of spreadsheet-type CAT tools like Trados 2009+ or MemoQ).
See if you can safely delete all text from the point where you've stopped in the partially translated file, and replace it with the new content. Then just continue translating.
Alternatively, you could simply start translating the new file against the existing TM. Whenever you discover a non-100% match, you might be able to see (e.g. using Ctrl+Alt+M to see the TM match) how you should re-segment that particular piece of text. Remember, you can close an unfinished segment using Alt+End (it saves the translation) or Alt+Delete (it does not save the translation, i.e. it reverts to the source text). You can also delete the translation of any segment by opening that segment and then pressing Alt+Delete. Then select the piece of text that you want to be in the segment, and press Shift+Alt+Down (I think).
(Opening a previous segment is done by making sure that there isn't actually currently an open segment, and then placing the cursor anywhere inside the source or target text of that previous segment and pressing Alt+Down. To check whether there is currently an open segment, and segment protection is ON, simply type "asdf" (if there is an open segment, the cursor will jump there). To check whether there is currently an open segment, and segment protection is OFF, press PgUp once (to move the cursor) and then press Alt+Down (if there is an open segment, the cursor will jump to it, but otherwise the text under the cursor till open as a segment). This may be too much information...)
[quote]- Can I edit the file I'm working on? [/quote]
What do you mean... "edit"? You're constantly "editing" the file while you translate it in WFC. (-:
You can edit text that you haven't translated yet. You can also edit source text and target text of any segment that you have already translated (but when you do that, your edits will not make it to the TM unless you perform a clean-up type of operation, or unless you open the segment and then close it again (Alt+Down on the segment, then Alt+End)).
Do not attempt to edit text in the already translated portions if you have hidden text disabled. It is important to see all the purple tags. Do not attempt to merge segments across purple tags. If you need to do that, first revert both segments to their source text (Alt+Down, Alt+Delete) and then merge them (select, and then Shift+Alt+Down).
If you break the purple tags, you can often fix them, especially if you have a slightly older version of the file from which to copy uncorrupted text.
[quote]- Can I just overwrite words in the source segment? [/quote]
Yes (if segment protection isn't on).
[quote]- Can I add new source segments? [/quote]
Yes, but Shift+Ctrl+Z (ResetChar) is your friend. It's generally easier to paste new text into among a patch of existing translated segments than to try to type new text in manually. Also enable the display of non-printing characters to ensure that no hard returns end up in purple style.
[quote]- What about the effect on those funny little half-sized things - are they called tags or markers or something? [/quote]
Segment markers. WFC will recognise them even if they're not purple (Trados 2007, on the other hand, wouldn't). Fix them when you break them. Or delete a corrupted paragraph and replace it from a slightly older, uncorrupted version of the file.
Sometimes a corruption will occur in which the text background is e.g. green or grey even after you've closed a segment. When this happens, just replace the corrupted chunk with an uncorrupted chunk from an older version of the file. But that's what you would do anyway, when editing in MS Word and something horrible happens to e.g. layout that you can't fix manually.
[quote]Whenever I inadvertently touch them all hell breaks loose and I lose hours. [/quote]
The segment starts with { 0 >
The segment ends with < 0 }
Between the source and target text is < } 0 { >
Spaces between segments are not included in the segment, so make sure that there is at least one non-purple space between segment if you fix manually.
You can fix segment markers when you break them. Select a whole chunk of text and use Shift+Ctrl+Z to remove all styles. WFC will fix them again (or not) when you press Alt+Down again.
Generally, stay away from them. If you edit text directly next to one of them while a segment is not open, use Shift+Ctrl+Z before you start typing (but this is a normal part of using MS Word).
==
If the client wants you to deliver a WFC uncleaned file, then obviously you can't use the "!!!" trick -- you have to edit both source text and target text of all changed segments.
I would normally recommend praying that there will be no more updates, and then simply translating the new file from the start. Whenever you get a non-100% match, you can see in the TM display (Ctrl+Alt+M, I think) what to do: fix the translation and move on, or close the segment (Alt+End) and resegment that piece of text manually.
[Edited at 2017-08-10 21:23 GMT]