memoQ offers different flavors of bilingual files:
- mqxliff files
- server projects
- bilingual RTF files (see here)
Quick start guide for MQXLIFF files
- Drag the mqxliff file on the CafeTran dashboard
- The file will be saved automatically all x segments (you can set this value x in the CafeTran settings). In general there is no need to use the command Project > Export current document.
- If the file contains already started segments (locked, translated, pre-translated), you should assign the appropriate status in CafeTran (see below).
- Open a project TM, a new or the corresponding (previously exported) TM and/or TB/glossary.
- Click on Memory > Import > Import segments from project if there are locked/translated segments in the mqxliff file.
- To finish the project a QA is highly recommended.
- Done.
Please also read the following sections, especially concerning the segment status.
Handling memoQ resources
- If you are looking for a way to migrate your memoQ termbase to CafeTran's glossary format, please click here.
- Any memoQ translation memories must be exported to TMX before using them in CafeTran.
Handling memoQ server projects
- When handling online projects many aspects depend on the rights (export/import) the PM assigns to you respectively on the server settings.
- In some cases server files cannot be exported (or even worse) they cannot be re-imported. There is a simple trick to export and re-import server files: Simply click on Create view on the Document tab in memoQ. This view can be exported and re-imported.
- Please bear in mind that in most cases TMs and/or TBs cannot be exported from memoQ server projects. And the PM won't see any progress until you re-import your file.
Important: MQXLIFF segment status in CafeTran
Please take note of the segment status that will be assigned in CafeTran
- Locked segments in memoQ are invisible n CafeTran. Beware: This means that context might be missing in your mqxliff file. Be sure to have the original file and or a bilingual rtf table at hand.
- Translated segments in memoQ are Checked in CafeTran. The changes inside these segments will of course be reflected after the reimport in memoQ.
- Pretranslated segments in memoQ are Translated in CafeTran.
- Edited segments in memoQ are Translated in CafeTran.
- Empty segments in memoQ are Empty in CafeTran (okay, what exactly did you expect?)
It is strongly recommended to export the mqxliff file without any pretranslated or edited segments. Then, after importing the (already translated) project segments to a CafeTran TM and (if any) adding the memoQ TM, CafeTran will unleash its power with subsegment matches and auto-completion.
View or glue?
If a memoQ project consists of several files, you can use the Create view command on the Document tab in memoQ.
You cannot create a CafeTran project with several mqxliff files in it. Even when dragging several mqxliff files onto the dashboard, only one mqxliff file will be imported. For this reason Glueing several mqxliff files is not possible.
The disadvantage of the View is that it might be somewhat harder to find out in which file eventual issues (mostly tag issues) might be found.
You can use the View feature in memoQ to ignore all translated segments. You can do this in memoQ via a view:
or:
When everything looks right here, you can create a view that only contains the segments that you want to see (translate):
Finalizing a mqxliff file in memoQ (optional steps)
When you have a copy of memoQ you can do some extra steps to finalize the mqxliff file, but this is not mandatory.
Checking a MQXLIFF file without the originating memoQ project
In memoQ:
- Create a new memoQ project (optional step, newer versions create a kind of one-file-project).
- Import the MQXLIFF file as a new source document.
- Run QA to check your translation.
Checking for empty segments
- Sort on length of target segment.
- Translate all empty segments (if any).
Please note: The QA or the filter view 'Not started' will not find all empty segments.
Running QA
- Select Quality Assurance on the Review pane.
- If the QA process takes a long time, click on the dropdown menu and select Resolve Errors and Warning.
- Please note: Exhaustivity and results of the QA depend on the QA settings in memoQ.
Setting all segments to Confirmed
- This extra step is only necessary if you have been assigned another role than translator (i.e. 'Reviewer 1' or 'Reviewer 2')
- Select all segments via Edit > Select all segments (Ctrl+Shift+a).
- Click on the green checkmark on the button bar with the appropriate role or press Ctrl+Enter to confirm all segments.
Delivering online projects
- Select the Documents tab in Project Home > Translations.
- Click on the Deliver button to send your translation to your client's server.
Please note: Depending on the server settings you can send your project only once to the server (after that your role changes and sending is no longer possible as the translator you once were).
See also: Importing CafeTran glossaries in memoQ
Creating a dummy project for QA purposes only in memoQ
Remember that you have to close and reopen the dummy project after import of the MQXLIFF file(s).
Addendum: Handling memoQ Handoff packages
This feature is not yet implemented in CafeTran. Anyway, it might be faster to ask for a mqxliff file, the corresponding TM and TB.
The following information is based on the memoQ Package Guide.
A memoQ Handoff package (*.mqout) file is a zip file in disguise. The three most important subfolders are the following:
- Translation Documents: Contains the documents to be translated. memoQ saves the documents in the MQXLZ format that you should unzip to get MQXLIFF files that can be translated in CafeTran.
- TM: Contains the translation memories used in the project. The translation memories are included in the form of TMX files that can be opened as a Memory in CafeTran.
- TB: Contains the term bases used in the project. The term bases are saved in the CSV (comma-separated values) format. Open the CSV file with a spreadsheet program (Excel, LibreOffice Calc etc.). Look for the 2 columns that match your source and target language and copy them to a new worksheet, arranging them in the correct order (Source language – Target language). Copy the 2 now adjacent columns to the system clipboard and paste them into a plain text file. Proceed as described under Creating a new glossary.
Procedure in memoQ:
- Open the Handoff package in memoQ.
- In the Bilingual export wizard select the first radio button memoQ XLIFF and clear all checkboxes.
- Don't forget to uncheck the box Save a compressed file:
- Save the MQXLIFF file in a CafeTran project folder.
Packing up the translated XLIFF files in a memoQ Handback package
When you have finished translating the XLIFF files, be sure to save them in a new, empty folder. Preferably, name this folder ProjectName.YourName. Then follow these steps:
- In the original handoff package that you unpacked in Section 2.2, there is a file called HandoffPackageInfo.xml. Copy this file to the new folder, and rename the second copy to DeliveryPackageInfo.xml.
- Open the new DeliveryPackageInfo.xml file in a plain text editor such as Notepad.
- Delete almost all lines from the file, but do not delete these:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<HandoffPackageInfo xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<HandoffVersion>version</HandoffVersion> <UserName>username</UserName> <HandoffRole>handoffrole</HandoffRole> <MasterProjectGuid>project_identifier</MasterProjectGuid> <MasterProjectName>project_name</MasterProjectName>
</HandoffPackageInfo>
The parts in italics can change from project to project.
- In the file, change <HandoffPackageInfo to <HandoffDeliveryPackageInfo. Change <UserName to <User.
- Save the file.
- Create a zip file from the contents of this folder. (It should now contain the translated XLIFF files and the DeliveryPackageInfo.xml file.) If no archiving program is installed on your computer, use the method built into Windows: select all files in the folder, right-click, point to Send to, and then choose Compressed (zipped) folder.
- The result will be a file with the *.zip extension. Rename the file so that it is called Project-Name.YourName.mqback.
- Send the file to your project manager. The project manager will be able to update the master project the same way as she would when she received a handback package directly from memoQ.
Addendum: Creating MQXLIFF files in memoQ
You can use this workflow to exchange projects between memoQ and CafeTran. Now you can collaborate with users of memoQ or use some of its features.
Note that the DOCX file used in this article only serves as an example. With this workflow you can also exchange FrameMaker, PowerPoint projects and all other file formats supported by memoQ.
Import your source document in memoQ. From the Translations view choose the Export bilingual button.
In the Bilingual export wizard select the first radio button memoQ XLIFF and clear all checkboxes:
Newer versions of memoQ have a simple link Plain XLIFF for other tools in this dialogue window.
Save the .MQXLIFF file:
If the memoQ project consists of several documents, in memoQ you have the option to create a view. We advise that you do not export the view but the individual documents. If something goes wrong, it will be easier to pinpoint the cause to an individual document.
Open as an XLIFF project in CafeTran:
Finalise the XLIFF in CafeTran, save and return to memoQ.
(1) In Projects Home > Translation select the Views tab:
(2) In the Views tab click the Import button.
(3) Navigate to the .MQXLIFF file and import it.
(4) Click the OK button to confirm the import:
memoQ shows that the re-import of the XLIFF has succeeded:
PLEASE NOTE: If you have combined several MQXLIFF files in a view, you will have to reload this view in order to see the updated target segments in the memoQ grid.