Problem
Sometimes there is a need to be able to extract some segments from a file, or multiple files, and send them as a single file to others. Sometimes there is a need to open all the files in a virtual view and then save them as a single file to share with others. Sometimes you don't want to open the files at all, but you might want to split them or merge them to send to others.
Resolution
The solution to all of these requirements is studioViews. This application will not only allow you to export from the files view, filtered selections in the Editor view, or plain and simple segment selection, but it also allows you to import the translated file you exported back into your project and will update your files accordingly. The exported file is an SDLXLIFF and fully supports all the features of SDLXLIFF (segment statuses, match values, tracked changes etc.).
Features
After installing the plugin you gain access to it in two different places.
Files View
You can select one or more files and right-click (the image below is shortened for convenience) where you will find two menu items:
- Import into the selected files
- Split the selected files
Split the selected files
In practice you would most likely use the "Split into selected files" first and this brings up the following menu:
If you have used the "Spit and Merge" application from the SDL AppStore these options will be familiar for you. The "Split" operation allows you to do two important things:
- split the selected files by wordcount, by equal parts or by segment ids
- merge the selected files
There is no obvious option for merging so this requires additional explanation. If you have multiple files in your project you could merge them all into one SDLXLIFF by entering "1" into the "number of equal parts" field:
This effectively allows you to merge files after the project has been created, so it's not only something you have to consider when the project is initially created.
The naming convention for the output is managed with a simple mask feature, the default being:
StudioViewsFile.Split_[####].sdlxliff
You define the mask and the location for the "split" files in the Output panel here:
The [####] will create a number with four digits when the files are "split". So if I split the files I selected into three files I would have three files like this:
StudioViewsFile.Split_[0001].sdlxliff
StudioViewsFile.Split_[0002].sdlxliff
StudioViewsFile.Split_[0003].sdlxliff
I could rename them as I see fit so if I wanted the name to be different and the number to only have three digits and have it at the start I could create a mask like this:
[###]_ProjectName_split.sdlxliff
Import into the selected files
This feature allows you to import the updated SDLXLIFF files you previously "split". The older "Split and Merge" application physically split the files and then merged them back together again. studioViews doesn't take this approach and is more robust as a result. studioViews replaces the updated segments in the original project files with the ones that were updated from the split files. All supported features are retained:
- match values
- statuses
- locked segments
- tracked changes
- etc.
When you select the import feature you will be presented with this window:
It doesn't matter whether you have selected the exact files you "split" originally to import into or not. You can select all the files in your project and right-click to import. The application is smart enough to know which segments you are updating and will only update the appropriate segments in the appropriate files. You can also choose to ignore the updates to segments based on statuses, type of matches or locked. You do this by adding the criteria into the "Ignore Existing Segments" part. The image above shows "Locked" which is the default setting. This will prevent changes made to locked segments in the "split" files from being imported into locked segments in the original.
Once the import is successfully completed you should see a "Task Result" window similar to this:
The report that is created is a simple log file that provides information on which files were imported and some statistics around what was updated, for example:
The original project files are also saved by appending the original files with .Backup_####.sdlxliff so you can always revert to the original if you're unhappy with the result.
Editor View
The Editor View provides a similar, although in many ways more functional approach to the features in the Files View. First of all you need to activate the View for studioViews by clicking on the icon in the View menu when you have opened a file in the Editor View:
This will open a new view to Trados Studio which you can position wherever you wish. For example:
This view has two tabs:
- Export
- Import
Export
The Export tab allows you to export selected or visible segments to an SDLXLIFF file in a location of your choosing.
Selected segments
These would be segments that you have selected in the Editor by holding down the Ctrl or Shift key (or by using the keyboard). For example, here I have selected segments #3, #5, #7, #8, #9 and #12:
It doesn't matter how many files you have opened in the Editor, you can select whatever you wish.
Visible segments
These would be segments that are currently visible in the Editor view. So if you have filtered on this using the Advanced Display Filter for example then you may have something like this:
Here I filtered on 10 of the 82 segments in my two files that are open in the Editor. If I Export the visible segments I will create an SDLXLIFF with just these 10 segments in it.
tbc.