SDL Trados Studio 2014 apps explained: tweaking your translation memories

In the first article of this section I explained how to customise user interface with the apps for SDL Trados Studio 2014. Now let’s have a look at apps that can help you improve the way your translation memories work.

SDL Translation Memory Management Utility

The main purpose of this tool is to manage translation memories in the SDLTM format and make them more usable. When you open the app, you will see the following window:

SDL translation memory management utility
SDL Translation Memory Management Utility

First you’ll have to add a TM or several TMs that you want to modify, and then select one of the three tasks: Export for Trados 2007, Remove Duplicates or Revert Index. The first task exports the TM to the format suitable for Trados 2007. The second task removes duplicate entries from translation memories and can optionally create backups from changed files. Finally, the last and most useful task will allow you to reverse the language combination of your TM (e.g. if the original TM was English into Polish, you can convert it to Polish into English). There’s also an option to overwrite existing translation units.

Revert Index in SDL Translation Memory Management 2014
Revert Index in SDL Translation Memory Management 2014

SDLTM Repair

SDLTM Repair fixes errors within translation memories saved in the SDLTM format. It offers two options: Integrity Check and Repair. First, you’ll have to select   a corrupted TM and then choose one of the options. As a result, the app will create a new TM with fixed errors or generate a report with information weather the TM is corrupted or not. However, the success of these operations is not guaranteed and it’s possible that some data will be lost or that the operation will fail to deliver results.

SDLTM Repair
SDLTM Repair

This app analyses your translation memory to find variables such as product and company names, brands, geographic names and other phrases that have not been translated. When the analysis is complete, you’ll see the following window with the results, specifying how many potential variables were found:

SDLTmFindVars
SDLTmFindVars

To see the list of the potential variables, you’ll have to click the “Output Data” button which will open a folder with a TXT file. This file contains the list of all variables identified by the app.

SDLTmFindVars text file
SDLTmFindVars text file

What can you do with this list? You can for example add the variables to the Termbase or Auto Text to allow for quicker recognition and insertion of the variables during translation, if the same words appear in your future texts.

SDLTMExport

This easy and useful app exports SDLTM memories into TMX files in no time. All you have to do, is to drag a TM into the app window and click Export. The new TM will be saved in the same folder as the original SDLTM file.

 

SDLTMExport
SDLTMExport

 

The next article of this series will present apps related to termbases.

 

 

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Dorota helps digital brands infuse their content with a local touch. She is a localization consultant, translator specialized in IT, prompt engineer, and a book author. Dorota teaches online courses on localization, writes for her blog and a Medium publication. She also runs a Small Biz AI, a Substack newsletter for freelancers and small business owners ready to discover handy AI tools.

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