Translation Memory - use and create in Moodle using SDL Trados Studio

Translation Memory - use and create in Moodle using SDL Trados Studio

by Berdy Ovezmuradov -
Number of replies: 3

There were some topics recently regarding possibility of Translation Memory (TM) use for language maintainers.  I have tried and now successfully use SDL Trados Studio 2011 for offline translation of PHP files in Moodle Language Pack in Turkmen. Software for using TM is often called CAT and it can help accelerate and improve technical translation enormously. SDL Trados is one of the best-known and powerful CAT in the world of professional translation. Some translators hate it because of poor support and tendency to monopolize CAT market, but few doubt the quality of this CAT. Here is what I did with SDL Trados Studio 2011:

I just opened a separate project for moodle translation, created a New type of file based upon a text file and gave it .php extension name (Project Settings / File Types / New). Then in the same menu, Document Structure for the new PHP file settings, I entered for Opening pattern:    = '     

for Closing pattern:       ';

After that I was able to instruct SDL to only show the parts of PHP to be translated in Editor. Of course, additionally I had to find TMs for english-turkmen translators, as there were none out there, I had to develop my own TMs based on existing manuals I found online. That took more than 2 months. In your case, hopefully, you can find TMs in your language much faster. Once you survive through this cumbersome process of setting CAT, the tool will drastically speed your translation workflow. In my case, productivity increased by about 40% while improving consistency of translation. I attached some settings for the project and sample files in case you cannot figure out the complicated settings.

If you cannot afford this expensive software (Trados), then refer to the recent topic:

How to generate a translation memory out of Moodle lang packs Picture of José Miguel Andonegi Martínez José Miguel Andonegi Martínez

where a nice method for TM export is described using Rainbow project (only for exporting from Moodle, I guess, not for use inside Moodle).

Still there is no known method for using TM just inside AMOS or offline using a free (open-source) CAT software.

But there is a hope: there is a wonderful open-source CAT called OmegaT. Unfortunately I am not closely familiar with this program but I heard it is not much worse than Trados or other commerical products and it is constantly improving. Maybe, someone in this forum could spend some time figuring out how maintainers could configure OmegaT in the way similar to what I described for Trados so that users have a free CAT tool in Moodle? Please check: http://sourceforge.net/projects/omegat/

In reply to Berdy Ovezmuradov

Re: Translation Memory - use and create in Moodle using SDL Trados Studio

by Berdy Ovezmuradov -

Forgot to mention: SDL Trados also allows export to TM and termbases and many other things which users can use for future translations.

In reply to Berdy Ovezmuradov

Er: Re: Translation Memory - use and create in Moodle using SDL Trados Studio

by José Miguel Andonegi Martínez -

Hi Berdy:

Thanks for mentioning the Rainbow method. I have only used the TM as a way to look for similar texts and it has been very helpful to improve my translations, but, up to now, I have not explored the way you suggest: using the TM to translate php files with a CAT toll like OT.

I think the steps to achieve it are:

  1. Improving the filter to get specific ids for each file. Right now, the same chain id is used in different files. Witch id format would you recommend? May be file_name:chain_id. I can ask for that improvement in Rainbow forums but, unfortunately, I am not able to do it myself.
  2. A similar pipeline should be created to convert php files to xliff format.
  3. The generated xliff files can be translated in OT
  4. The pipeline should be reverted to get the translated texts from xliff back to .php
  5. The translated php files should be imported to AMOS

This is experimental and I would appreciate your help. I will report any improvement I get here, but I will only work on this in my spare time.

In reply to José Miguel Andonegi Martínez

Re: Er: Re: Translation Memory - use and create in Moodle using SDL Trados Studio

by Berdy Ovezmuradov -

Hi Jose,

to be honest, didn't look much to the Rainbow, so I cannot advise you much, sorry.  Probably like you, I am so busy with my routine duties, that I only do Moodle translations occasionally, sometimes not touching it for weeks. It would be nice use OmegaT somehow to filter the string to be translated or Rainbow or any other free tools, as TRADOS is not cheap.

Good luck with your task!