Tips

In the previous post, we learned to convert straight quotes into guillemets in Trados Studio at one blow. In this post, we’ll learn to perform the equivalent operation in memoQ. This is how it’s done.

Call the replace dialog box. Press CTRL+H and the Quick find and replace box will appear:

(The screenshots are taken in memoQ 8.7, they are similar in other versions.)

We need to access additional parameters; therefore, select Change these to unfold the dialog box (its name will change to Advanced Find And Replace):

Uncheck Source text (we need to perform the replacement in the translated text only) and click the button to toggle between plain-text and regular-expression search—the one with angle brackets to the right from the Find what field. The dialog box will transform again:

After that, enter "(.+?)" in the Find what field and «$1» in the Replace with field.

Precautions associated with the similar operation in Trados Studio are also valid here; this method fails in the following cases:

• When the text contains a mistake, and either opening or closing quote is missing.
• When the fragment is big, and the opening and closing quotes of the pair are found in different segments.
• When at least one quote is used as a symbol for inch.

However, during this replacement, unlike Trados Studio, the tags between the straight quotation marks remain; i.e., memoQ cares about them more than Trados Studio. Even though we don’t recommend selecting Replace all: it’s better to look through each case thoroughly in your interest.

As we already know, sometimes Trados Studio misleads users by hiding tags and provoking mistakes branded as a tag mismatch. Trados Studio is not to blame here: the task of the program is to provide translators with opportunities, and translators must decide for themselves how to use these opportunities.

Trados Studio allows for fast formatting of tag display in the text with the help of the CTRL+ALT+D keyboard shortcut. Continuous pressing changes tag display modes in the order as follows: No Tag Text > Partial Tag Text > Full Tag Text > Tag Id.

Let’s have a closer look at these modes.

No Tag Text (tag text is not displayed). This mode is helpful to learn about the presence of tags ignoring information of what these tags are. The visual tag representation in this mode is a small triangle:

Press CTRL+ALT+D to switch to Partial Tag Text (tag text is displayed partially). This mode is helpful to learn about the type of each tag without crowding the whole text with them. Tags will look like this:

Press CTRL+ALT+D once more to switch to the Full Tag Text mode (tag text is fully displayed). This mode is helpful to see the whole text of all tags. It’s not comfortable to work in this mode because tags take too much space. Thus generally, this mode is used for the time being: switched it on—had a look—switched it off. In this mode, tags are fully unfolded (sometimes they can take several lines):

Press CTRL+ALT+D once more to switch to the Tag Id mode (tags are numbered). It is helpful in case of numerous tags in the text or if they change places while translation, and one has to make sure each tag is in its place. Visually tags turn into rectangles with numbers. Please note that tag pairs become directed and feature the same number:

Two things:

1. Tag display switch works only when tag display is on, i.e., when the Toggle formatting display switch is turned on:

If this switch is off, tags will be hidden permanently regardless of the display mode.

2. It is very convenient to switch tag display modes on the fly, but there is one inconvenience: you can accidentally miss the target and press CTRL+ALT+F instead of CTRL+ALT+D. This key combination confirms the current segment and moves the cursor to the nearest segment that isn’t included in the translation memory.

If you have installed Trados Studio or had it installed, it’s worth changing several default settings immediately before you start working.

• Turn off automatic update when running Trados Studio

Basically, it’s worth working with the latest version of Trados Studio. By every update, developers get rid of errors and improve security. And if you want the application on your PC to receive latest updates constantly, you’d better leave the automatic update on.

However, if you don’t fancy paying for updates, if you’re okay with the current version of the application, or if you don’t want to bother yourself with installing updates, turn off the automatic update.

How to do it: go to File > Options > on the left panel Automatic Updates > on the right panel uncheck Automatically check for updates when the application starts:

And press ОК.

• Turn on spelling check

There is no point in explaining why it must be done: in the modern world, spelling mistakes in translation are atavisms. And we discussed how to do it here.

• Set display scale

Why it is important and how to do it we discussed here.

• Turn off automatic error correction

Why it must be done we discussed here, and how it can be done—here.

• Configure correct tag display

It was discussed in this post.

• Turn on hidden text (desirably)

What hidden text looks like is described here, and how to display it—here.

* * *

Now you’re fully equipped for a fight!

Look at the screen shot below:

It is an ordinary text in an ordinary Trados Studio document, isn’t it? You translated it and everything looks good.

But if you try to perform a QA (by pressing F8 button), you suddenly receive multiple error messages about tag mismatches. You are puzzled, as there are only five tags, and they all coincide in the source and the target. How could that be? There are no mismatched tags!

The answer is intriguing: the document DOES contain tags. But they are hidden.

To see them, select View tab on the Trados Studio ribbon and look at the Options section. There is a button called Toggle formatting tag display.

Press it:

As you can see, the source text in this sample does contain multiple tags, but they are missing in your translation. You simply did not see them, because they were hidden due to the incorrect toggle position.

Now you see them and you can restore them in your translation:

All tag mismatches disappeared!

So, it makes sense to show tags always when you perform translation or review in Trados Studio. By the way, you can adjust the way of tag appearance by pressing the other buttons on the same sections. 

No tag text (only symbols of a tag are shown; you can identify whether it is opening or closing as well):

Partial tag text (you can identify a type of a tag, but you do not see the entire tag text):

Full tag text (you see the entire tag text):

Tag Id (all tags are numbered):

* * *

We recommend you to use toggle on + Partial tag text combination.