Inline formatting tag issue and segmentation problems in XLF file

Hello

We are stuck.  Having been able to work out some embedding coding for some of our other XLF files a new issue has popped up.

Articulate's Storyline programming uses inline formatting tags like the <g> tag, and for some reason we have not been able to figure out a way to segment it into a more manageable file for the translators.  These inline tags are just creating some ugly segments in Trados (oh using 2019 and 2017)

Looking for a little assistance with the XLF file type we have created.  It is designed to try and work with all the different XLF file types we have here.  Acquia, Wordpress, Rise and Storyline.

I have included in a zip folder the file type, image of segmentation issue and an xlf file.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

4721.Parsing issue.zip

  • I don't think there is a lot you can do with this.  There is so much junk between these inline texts you can't exclude them.  I guess the creation of a custom filetype using the API might do a better job as it could group these tags sets together and put them back afterwards, but using the UI tools available to you I think you'll struggle to make much of a better job of it.  At least I'd struggle... maybe someone ike or would have a good idea?

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  • I don't see it as a big problem actually. It's rather a minority of the segments which contain this garbage... and one can simply switch to "No Tag Text" display and everything looks much more readable.

    I'm afraid that translators simply have to accept the fact that nowadays we deal with way more complicated things than the pieces of paper with plain text they were used to decades ago.
    No one's life is easy these days, so why would translators be any exception?! They simply must live with occasional discomfort, just as us all others.

    Screenshot of Trados Studio showing text with multiple tag symbols like arrows and diamonds, making the segment hard to read.

    emoji


    Generated Image Alt-Text
    [edited by: Trados AI at 11:27 PM (GMT 0) on 28 Feb 2024]
  • There is no perfect solution to this, but you could do better, by doing the following:

    1. Copy the source to target by some process outside of Studio or by misusing the inbuilt Studio filter without translating anything.

    2. Use the XML filter instead of the XLIFF filter which will allow you to deal inline and structural tags differently based on XPath expressions,
    since this seems to be the major issue:
    <bpt ctype="x-block" id="block_0" />
    <bpt ctype="x-block" id="block_10" />
    ....
    <bpt ctype="x-block" id="block_8" />
    <bpt ctype="x-block" id="block_9" />

    <bpt ctype="x-style" id="span_1">
    <bpt ctype="x-style" id="span_10">
    ....
    <bpt ctype="x-style" id="span_8">
    <bpt ctype="x-style" id="span_9">

  • True, we seem to be getting more and more clunky files like this since more and more folk are using some sort of program that uses such poorly designed XLF files.

    The main problem is some languages do not have a straight forward translation for English to the other language.  Terms need to be switched around and this throws the tags off.   This seems, not positive main cause, to create an issue when the file is sent back to the customer--It does not load or loads with issues.

    I have been trying to work with Articulate with this issue.  Not a lot of help there.

  • I am very green when it comes to Trados and am learning under fire so to speak.  Forgive me for asking some junior questions.

    For 1--Are you saying it might be useful to Copy the source to say WordPad to do the translation and copy that back into the target?  
    Not certain what mean by misusing Studio filter.  (right now think we have a clunky xlf filter that we are trying to utilize for all the different software xlf programs we have to deal with right now--wordpress is soon to darken our door.

    And for 2--How might I go about working with the XML filter option?  I am just slowing getting hang of the embedded content options within the XLF filter (right now working with an outside consultant who is doing this xlf filter work for the time being--eventually will be on my own)  Would I need to do anything to the actual XLF file first?

    Thanks

  • Use the XML filter instead of the XLIFF filter which will allow you to deal inline and structural tags differently based on XPath expressions

    That is definitely NOT a method for beginners; it's rather an advanced and somehow "nonstandard" way of processing.
    And that's exactly the reason why I did not mention this way in my answer.

  • "nowadays we deal with way more complicated things than the pieces of paper with plain text they were used to decades ago"

    "No one's life is easy these days, so why would translators be any exception?! They simply must live with occasional discomfort, just as us all others."


    What nonsensical assumptions. I'm also surprised by how rude they are, to boot.

    First of all, I don't think there are many translators alive and working right now who have spent a significant part of their career using pen and paper. Clean formatting is a different story.

    Second, no one is asking to "have it easy". The problem is we are not getting paid by the hour, but by the word instead. This means we are working extra to handle those gazillions of tags and retranslating/moving text around, which takes much longer than it would normally, thus lowering our hourly output in words. If I normally translate 300 words per hour, and you now want me to take care of those additional elements that decrease my output to 200 words per hour, I need to be compensated accordingly (+33% more). Otherwise, ding-ding, I suddenly make less money! Yay! I'm sure my bank and utility companies will understand when I ask them for a 33% discount.

    And in cases like the one in this thread, we are sometimes talking about a 50-75% decrease in productivity. So it's completely natural for it to be considered a serious issue and not some "occasional discomfort". 

    I'm assuming a developer or PM like you (you are not a translator, obviously) either has a steady salary or is freelancing and charging by the hour and/or per project, as he/she sees fit. So if you have to deal with extra work, either you just work more slowly (and your boss needs to realign their expectations) or you get paid for it with overtime or you just charge the client more.

    If you don't understand something, you should ask before you make malicious assumptions.

  • I need to be compensated accordingly (+33% more)

    Percentages, as well as tags, are not easily managed: in your example, 50%, not 33%.

    No hard feelings!

  • Haha, thank you Gerard, that's true! Each to their own, I guess... Slight smile