Finding ways to automate the localization process can come in various forms. Be it a new tool or feature within a CAT tool, finding that new thing to add to your automation arsenal could potentially save you time and money. One question that I continued to ask myself over the course of this semester was: “How can this be automated?”

Tips for Trados QA (using Regex)

Trados has a labyrinth of features that can be deployed to automate the localization process. The issue is visualizing how these features can be applied to your specific workflow, language locale, and content. One such feature that is worth looking into is regular expression (regex). Regex is a special text string for describing a search pattern. Here are some examples of how regex in tandem with Trados can enhance the localization process:

  • Regex can search for a pattern, like a web address, a date, a combination of number and measurement
  • Changing date formats or the sequence of elements
  • Use regex in the QA checkers to find specific things, like numbers and measurement units that are not separated by a non-breaking space

Using Trados, I sought to test these enhancements with English and Chinese.

Commas and Periods for Chinese

In the QA checker I added [.,] in the RegEx target field to detect for non-Chinese commas and periods. When the translator runs the QA verification, any non-Chinese commas and periods will show up in the target field as a warning. These can then be replaced using the same regular expression in the “Find what” field as shown in the screenshot above.  

Time

In Chinese, time is typically expressed using a 24-hour clock. The QA checker will now detect for any expressions of time that follow the AM/PM format in the source, and then compare these to the target. If target and source match (meaning time is expressed using AM/PM in Chinese rather than converting time to a 24-hour clock format), this will be marked as a potential error in translation.

“The best defense is a good offense.” Using regex to preempt potential issues that may arise during translation will save a lot unneeded repair work and streamline the localization process.

Utility Demo/Training Video

Apart from CAT tools, what other methods are out there waiting to be tapped into by unsuspecting PMs? I took the liberty to dig deeper into one whose presence has become hard to ignore – Monday.com. On their website they claim to be “a tool that simplifies the way teams work together – Manage workload, track projects, move work forward, communicate with people.” Assuming the role of a PM, I sought to explore how Monday.com could be effective in automating the life of a localization project.

Click here to watch my review