Larger strings (consisting of more than one sentence) may be split up into multiple segments in the CAT tool.
A sentence-ending punctuation mark such as a period (.), exclamation point (!) or question mark (?) typically creates a new segment.
All segments belonging to the same string will have the same string number.
There are some important considerations to bear in mind when working with strings that consist of two or more segments.
Saving multi-segment strings
In order to save a string, a translation must be provided for all of its segments.
An error message will be shown if any segments are empty, and you will not be able to save the string.
Once a translation has been entered for all segments, the string can be saved successfully.
Merge segments
If the structure of the source string cannot be replicated accurately in the target language, you have the option to merge two or more segments of the same string.
To do so, click the Merge segment into next icon. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut that you've set in your keyboard settings.
The segment which are currently working on will then be merged into the next segment, so they can be translated and saved as one unit.
Whenever possible, we would recommend preserving the original segmentation.
When a multi-segment string is saved, both the translation for the individual segments and the translation for the entire string get saved to the Translation Memory. Therefore, preserving the original segmentation can help improve Translation Memory leverage for future translations.
Restore segmentation
If two segments were merged by mistake, the original segmentation can be restored by clicking Restore segmentation.
If you had already entered a translation for the merged segments, it will not be split up into the individual segments automatically. Instead, any translation you may have entered for the merged segments will show up in the first segment after restoring the segmentation.
Please make sure the translation is aligned correctly with the restored segments before saving it.
Leading and trailing whitespaces
Since multi-segment strings typically represent a paragraph in the source file, where each sentence is separated by a whitespace, they often contain trailing whitespaces at the end of each segment.
Example of a paragraph in a Word file which will produce a multi-segment string with a trailing space at the end of the first segment:
The CAT Tool displays all leading and trailing whitespaces that the source text contains.
It is important to include the same leading and trailing whitespace in your saved translation, unless there is a relevant grammatical exception for your target locale.
In particular, it is important to ensure that segments within a string have a standard space at the end of each segment to avoid having both translated sentences run together.
Example:
The last segment in a string does not require a trailing space, unless there is one visible in the source.
Translation Memory matches for segments with leading/trailing spaces
Please note that the following behavior regarding trailing and leading whitespaces does not apply for Japanese, Chinese, Yiddish, and Cantonese locales.
If you insert a TM Match with a different arrangement of leading or trailing whitespace from your source string, it will be automatically revised to align with the whitespace in your source string.
Please note that whether or not a whitespace is considered leading or trailing can change based on whether the string’s segments have been merged. If you have the “Automatically merge segments to apply string level TM match” enabled, pre-populated TM matches may require closer review for spacing alignment.