At a basic level, the set of features collectively named AutoSuggest is similar to the AutoComplete feature in MS Word in that it automatically offers possible matches (suggestions) for words or strings of text as you type. There are three possible sources of AutoSuggest matches: AutoText, AutoSuggest dictionaries, and MultiTerm termbases (MultiTerm termbases are covered in Chapter 8, Managing Terminology). The following screenshot shows AutoSuggest matches being produced simultaneously from a termbase and an AutoSuggest dictionary:
AutoSuggest speeds up the process of typing and translating by offering matches on strings of text inside segments, as opposed to the segment-level matches offered by the TM, and can be used in conjunction with a TM.
AutoText is a feature for completing words as you type. You first specify the words or strings of text that you want to match against. SDL Trados Studio then offers them as suggestions to choose from as you type.
- To add a word or string of text to the AutoText list: Select the text that you want to add in the target segment. From the Advanced tab, click Add AutoText (Alt + F7). Click Add to add your string to the list. Click OK to exit the Options dialog box.
- To insert an AutoText match as you type: As you type the first four letters, any corresponding AutoText entries will appear in a list, as shown in the following screenshot:
In the list, use your mouse or the arrow keys to select the best match. Hit the Enter key or double-click to insert the match into your target segment.
An AutoSuggest dictionary is, like a TM, a database to help you while you translate. However, in contrast to a TM, an AutoSuggest dictionary has the following features:
- It gets generated in its completed form before you start translation.
- It does not get updated or changed in anyway during the translation.
- It provides matches for strings of text inside the segment as you type.
- It produces context-sensitive matches. For example, if you type the letters
exc, only the matches in the AutoSuggest dictionary beginning with those letters and relevant to the content of the segment will appear as suggestions.
Note
Users of the Freelance version can open and use AutoSuggest dictionaries, but must buy the AutoSuggest Creator add-on to create their own, so the Generate AutoSuggest Dictionary option is unavailable in the Freelance version.
Try searching the web for ready-made AutoSuggest dictionaries made freely available by others, some of which can be downloaded from the SDL site at http://tinyurl.com/autosuggest-dictionary. You might also try creating them out of the European Union translation memories.
AutoSuggest dictionaries are generated from existing TM in SDL Trados Studio (.sdltm) or .tmx format. To generate an AutoSuggest dictionary, you must have a TM in one of these formats that contains at least 10,000 translation units (TUs).
Tip
To see the number of TUs in a TM, in the Translation Memories view, from the Home tab, click Open. Once selected, your TM will appear in the list at the top left. Right-click the name of the TM and choose Settings. The number of TUs is shown at the bottom of the dialog box under Translation Units.
The main things you need to know about AutoSuggest dictionaries are as follows:
- To generate an AutoSuggest dictionary: Go to the Translation Memories view. In the Home tab, choose Create AutoSuggest Dictionary and follow the instructions in the wizard.
- To select an AutoSuggest dictionary for use during translation: Choose Project Settings | Language Pairs. Under the appropriate language pair, choose AutoSuggest Dictionaries. On the right, click Add, then select the AutoSuggest dictionary and click Open. Click OK to exit the Project Settings screen. You can also add an AutoSuggest Dictionary when using the Translate Single Document command. To do so, click the Advanced button in the Open Document window where you add TMs before you start translating.
- To insert an AutoSuggest dictionary match as you type: The AutoSuggest dictionary will produce context-sensitive matches as you type, with the first letters of corresponding entries appearing in a list, as shown in the following screenshot:
In the list, use your mouse or the arrow keys to select the best match. Press the Enter key or double-click to insert the match into your target segment. The list is circular, so if there are lots of entries, you can reach the last entry quickly by going up rather than down.