Complex excel-controlled Word file and Wordfast Thread poster: sylvie malich (X)
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sylvie malich (X)
Germany
Local time: 04:28
German to English
I need some advice with an extreme complex-formatted 99 page instruction manual. It is a Word file, parts of the text are linked to excel. When I overwrite the text, linkage is broken (Table of Contents, illustrations, etc.) or doesn't take. I'm afraid to continue with my CAT (wordfast) and am in a dilemna. Do you know at all if what I am doing is even possible (overwriting excel-controlled text without breaking the linkage).
I have contacted the agency for advice (they will call m... See more I need some advice with an extreme complex-formatted 99 page instruction manual. It is a Word file, parts of the text are linked to excel. When I overwrite the text, linkage is broken (Table of Contents, illustrations, etc.) or doesn't take. I'm afraid to continue with my CAT (wordfast) and am in a dilemna. Do you know at all if what I am doing is even possible (overwriting excel-controlled text without breaking the linkage).
I have contacted the agency for advice (they will call me back when they've figured it out: something with F9 but they're not certain), but would like your opinion.
Please write soon, I'm on a tight schedule.
Sylvie
[Edited at 2004-05-28 12:34] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Edit contents in Excel | May 28, 2004 |
Can't you edit the Excel controlled contents directly in Excel and skip them in your CAT tool? This should preserve the links...
Good luck,
Stefan
| | | | sylvie malich (X)
Germany
Local time: 04:28
German to English
TOPIC STARTER
Stefan Keller wrote:
Can't you edit the Excel controlled contents directly in Excel and skip them in your CAT tool? This should preserve the links...
Good luck,
Stefan
What I've been doing is using my Wordfast up to the Excel merged text, closing Wordfast and overwriting the text. The Excel text is only a line here and there. It has been working smoother today than yesterday when my Wordfast messed up a "merge file" code (BTW know how to fix that?).
Does anybody know what this F9 command is that my client suggested? ...but said they'd get back to me because it didn't work for them either? (F9 /accept changes to auxiliary files)
What I'm mega-worried about is that I did a test "clean file" this morning and nothing happened... (cringe)It just remained unclean. That's next on my list to trouble-shoot.
(And that with only 4 hours sleep...)
| | | | Ken Cox 
Local time: 04:28
German to English
+ ...
| a bit of a suggestion | May 28, 2004 |
Hi Silvie,
Not sure I can help you much, since (fortunately) I haven't encounter this situation yet.
First, what I do know: in Word, F9 is the 'update field(s)' key. If you press F9 with an individual field selected (such as a ToC, automatic numbering field, etc.), Word will update that specific field. If you press F9 with no field selected, Word will (attempt to) update all the fields in the document.
All embedded and linked objects are included in a Word docume... See more Hi Silvie,
Not sure I can help you much, since (fortunately) I haven't encounter this situation yet.
First, what I do know: in Word, F9 is the 'update field(s)' key. If you press F9 with an individual field selected (such as a ToC, automatic numbering field, etc.), Word will update that specific field. If you press F9 with no field selected, Word will (attempt to) update all the fields in the document.
All embedded and linked objects are included in a Word document by means of fields, so in principle, if you press F9 all the links to all other documents should be updated.
Aside from how the question of how WF handles field codes, there's potentially a major problem if you're editing a document received from someone else that contains embedded or linked documents. (As I understand things -- you need a Word guru for this, and I'm not -- there may be a difference here between embedded and linked objects, since embedded objects are actually present in the Word document but still connected to the source document, while linked objects are only represented in the Word document by something like a hyperlink that causes them to be displayed in the Word document.) The links to other documents are made using the full path names of the documents, which means something like C:DocumentsMy DocumentsProject XSection Y... . If you don't have the documents on your system *and* stored in an identical directory structure (= identical path names), Word cannot automatically update the links.
Word allows you to manually update links (under Edit/Links), but IMHO the implemetation of this is a good candidate for the bad joke of the year award. The links are listed in order by their path names, so to update a particular link you must first determine its path name (select 'Show Field Codes' under Tools/Options/View to display field codes), then locate the link in the Edit/Link list, and then (magically) know where the new file is located so you can update the link. And then repeat the process for each link to be updated.
As for repairing a damaged merge field code, in principle you can do this if you know what you're doing, but it might be easier and safer to just delete it and re-do the link (assuming you have the source file).
Good luck!
Note: the green smilie is supposed to be a colon followed by a backslash, and there are supposed to be backslashes in the path name. At least on my system, they aren't visible.
[Edited at 2004-05-28 16:42]
[Edited at 2004-05-28 16:45] ▲ Collapse
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| complex files can be difficult in Wf | May 28, 2004 |
1. Cleaning problems
I had some problems with Wf as well, when it sometimes refused to 'clean' after funny tags. Sometimes the clean-up would crash (run time error something), I would find a missing WF code, copied and pasted it and went on to the next crash (nerve wrecking).
Copying and pasting (Wf) codes: I think it is Ctr-Fsomething, the programme tels you protection is on, you can toggle it off and do the dirty work.
2. If the embedded stuff is only a few lines here ... See more 1. Cleaning problems
I had some problems with Wf as well, when it sometimes refused to 'clean' after funny tags. Sometimes the clean-up would crash (run time error something), I would find a missing WF code, copied and pasted it and went on to the next crash (nerve wrecking).
Copying and pasting (Wf) codes: I think it is Ctr-Fsomething, the programme tels you protection is on, you can toggle it off and do the dirty work.
2. If the embedded stuff is only a few lines here and there, (not a clue how it works) why not leave those untranslated, translate them separately and ask the customer to get them inserted.
If you close wordfast and then type over the existing text, Wordfast would think those segments are not translated, and that would cause problems when cleaning.
3. Leave untranslated - Same with TOC, what I did was translate in the text and the client updated the fields.
Good luck, sounds if you are going to need it!
[Edited at 2004-05-28 23:39] ▲ Collapse
| | | | sylvie malich (X)
Germany
Local time: 04:28
German to English
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks so much for explaining the F9 to me. Now I know why it didn't work for my contact. (He didn't mark the whole field but just placed the cursor in the field.)
I'll be experimenting a bit more today with it. In the worst case I'll be doing a bit of copying a pasting into a new file.
- sylvie
| | | | sylvie malich (X)
Germany
Local time: 04:28
German to English
TOPIC STARTER
anjoboira wrote:
Good luck, sounds if you are going to need it!
Thanks!
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