sample file ?

hi Kelly,

attached is theQuantity Survey GTC Carrefour 18 Nov 2020.xls one

This is.. a.. Nonsense.

This document is a Nightmare.

You have to merge it, all of the segments at pre-translation stage with your own fingers.

This is what I have checked.

The first rectangel is to merge two segments "Automatically".
It is showed you by the same HighlightColor(color itself doesn't matter).

The second (and all the rest) rectangel is to merge segments "Manually".
It is showed you by the different HighlightColor(color itself doesn't matter).

As I mentioned, you could do it with your own fingers - simply merge it.
I'll try to find "better" automatical method than now (I mean "mine").. but, it looks like quite negative.
-and that should be Paid Service.

For your reference,
you have to check "Allow source editing" when you make your project then you could "Merge" source segments freely.
- do not check with "Disable merging segments...bulah" of course.
and do not forget to chech "Read content ordered by column" at "File Type"(for Excel) for sure.

Good Luck To You

I could reduce "Several mouse clicks into a single click" when you do source merging.
It could "some" help when you have to handle lots of segments.
-actually, it is Two steps (DragClick, DragClick...) instead of Four steps(Trados default procedure - ClickClickClickClick, ClickClickClickClick.... )

you "Drag segments" and "Click" once my tool(or ShortCut), then you have merged one.

hmm.. this screenshot is "for explanation" ONLY.
this screenshot is done at "Taget" but, it should done at "Source" of course.

Bye.

ah.. You have one more difficulty to overcome.

When you finish one segment - combined just like above comment's target, 
you have to re-split it into several ones just like originally splitted source.

- I have made a tool for this specific case, of course..but..

so..

You could do it via

Target merge style

OR

Source merge style

Good Luck To You

Thanks Kelly, I appreciate you advise.

nika

Nikoloz Jashi

This brings back some memories.  A long time ago I was a Civil Engineer and we worked with bills of quantities like this all the time.  We also used Excel exactly as you have shown it here because it is far easier to maintain the format and reuse it.  Today I'd go back and slap my younger self around the head a few times and explain how to do this in a localization friendly manner!

I think two things come to mind... or three:

1. make your client aware there will be a charge to handle the formatting
2. use an approach from Kelly... OR
3. use TransTools to merge the data

I created a very short video to explain:

Asking extra charge is one thing and going through the tedious steps is another thing.
And, I guess, the Client is not gonna move at all, even an inch, in terms of money and text formatting.

So, basicall eternal iteration of "Drag and Click" is the only way ? That's pity..

Finally, I do not like the idea to change Original text.

Regards