How to retain segment comments when applying PerfectMatch with locking?!

Question

There is a practice on current project (complex MadCap Flare help with 1200+ files) that if we are requested by client to do some change in legacy strings, a comment should be added to the affected segment(s) with a reference to the change request (ticket number, etc.) 
 Now, how am I supposed to transfer the comments from project to project?!?! 
 Project for each new update of the help is created "based on previous project" and PerfectMatch is applied to the new project, using the "Apply PerfectMatch and lock" option... all pretty standard process. 
 But the problem is that the "Apply PerfectMatch and lock" option does not transfer the comments from old bilinguals :( 
 Only the "Use the original origin and status" option transfers the comments... but using this option is not acceptable, I need to have the PerfectMatched segments marked as PerfectMatch! 
 I consider this a bug in Studio...

Paul · Answer

Hi Evzen Polenka , 
 
I vaguely recall this coming up in conversation a long time ago but I can't remember whether the outcome was that this was by desire, or if we just didn't address it yet. I don't think this is a bug because I doubt anything is broken. I think it's more likely the omission of a feature you would like to have... although maybe Daniel Brockmann can confirm when he gets a minute. 
 
In my opinion it's logical to work this way since comments would normally be temporary. The PM and Lock option means don't touch it so I wouldn't expect comments to be in there. But that's just my opinion... let's see what Daniel has to say.

Paul · Answer

Indeed it is dangerous!! But I do still think there is a kind of logic here even if we should address this. 
 Unknown said: Why are then comments transferred when the other option is used? 
 I think that if a translation is not complete then it is better to be able to continue with the match values and history you have, including comments. You would not want comments to be removed if you had not finished and you may even want to see the match values and statuses you had so far as it could help with filtering and further changes. 
 But if you have finished the translation and sometime in the future get an updated source then a PM with lock, and no comments, makes more sense. 
 However Evzen, I'm really not arguing with you as I can also see how an option would be better. In general I prefer to see less rigidity in the solutions so I was just making the point because I don't think it's a bug. I think it's more like a "by design" solution that just needs a good argument to convince the product manager we should have more options. 
 ... although it could be a bug!! We'll know soon enough :-)

Daniel Brockmann · Answer

Hi both - this is not a bug, but we may indeed be a bit rigid here. The assumption was that a PM segment is a PM segment and remains a PM segment with no commenting ever required. But this may be too rigid, as I can see that in this particular exception flow this creates problems. Would logging an idea around this make sense so we can prioritise this request against the others? Thanks, Daniel

Daniel Brockmann
Team Trados @ RWS

Trados Studio > 1. Trados Studio

How to retain segment comments when applying PerfectMatch with locking?!