File conversion to TXT
Thread poster: neilmac
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 09:54
Spanish to English
+ ...
Dec 4, 2019

A new client has a translation platform/application that I have to use. So far it seems quite intuitive, but sometimes I prefer to work off-line, so I need to know if I can convert the files for translation into flat text format .TXT.

The client's platform gives me the option of downloading the files in these formats: CSV / gettext PO / TBX /TMX / Excel Open XML. However, I don't know which of these would be the best option for converting into TXT. Any pointers in this sense will be
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A new client has a translation platform/application that I have to use. So far it seems quite intuitive, but sometimes I prefer to work off-line, so I need to know if I can convert the files for translation into flat text format .TXT.

The client's platform gives me the option of downloading the files in these formats: CSV / gettext PO / TBX /TMX / Excel Open XML. However, I don't know which of these would be the best option for converting into TXT. Any pointers in this sense will be greatly appreciated.
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Tony M
Tony M
France
Local time: 09:54
Member
French to English
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Forget that, bad idea! Dec 4, 2019

Silly suggestion withdrawn!

My bigger concern might well be how you are going to pop it all back in again afterwards... ?

[Edited at 2019-12-04 20:38 GMT]


Nikita Kobrin
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 09:54
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Neilmac Dec 4, 2019

neilmac wrote:
The client's platform gives me the option of downloading the files in these formats: CSV / gettext PO / TBX /TMX / Excel Open XML.


An "Excel Open XML" file opens in Excel, and from there you can copy it to a plain text file. CSV is quite a complicated format, and not standardised, which means that different tools export different types of "CSV" and accept or refuse to accept different types of "CSV" files from other tools. Gettext PO is plain and is text, but it contains other bits of code as well, and you can't simply translate by overtyping, and it may contain escaping (depending on the language and the file encoding). TBX is an XML-like format for glossaries. TMX is an XML-like format for translation memories. Neither TBX nor TMX are "plain text" in the usual sense of the word, but most CAT tools can open TMX files for viewing (though not for editing). I suggest: Excel Open XML, and then copy/paste.

Tony M wrote:
My bigger concern might well be how you are going to pop it all back in again afterwards... ?


Yes, good question: how do you intend putting it all back again? Will you be pasting it back? I have a couple some paster scripts that I used to paste context from text files back into online tools.



[Edited at 2019-12-04 17:29 GMT]


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 09:54
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Good point Dec 4, 2019

I hadn't got as far as how to reinsert the translated strings yet, although I did mention to the developers that in the previous system I exported the files to translate, then imported them back no problem, as that function was available. They said they would look into it.
Another job has come in, which will keep me busy at least until tomorrow... So I'll have a look at this again then if I have time. I'm still sort of finding my way, but once I started working with it, it seemed less dau
... See more
I hadn't got as far as how to reinsert the translated strings yet, although I did mention to the developers that in the previous system I exported the files to translate, then imported them back no problem, as that function was available. They said they would look into it.
Another job has come in, which will keep me busy at least until tomorrow... So I'll have a look at this again then if I have time. I'm still sort of finding my way, but once I started working with it, it seemed less daunting.
Thanks for the explanation of the different file types, that's really useful information for future use.

[Edited at 2019-12-04 18:22 GMT]
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File conversion to TXT







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