Comparing the project messages

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Overview

How to proceed?

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Comparing the project messages

Overview

The comparison is used to find out whether translation errors occurred between two languages:

same text in both languages.
messages not translated in one of the languages.

The comparison file is created in the reference language. The comparison file and the extraction file have the same format (WDMSG file, HFSQL data file or text file). See the format of text files of messages for more details

If this file is in text format, it can be handled by WDTRAD or by another translation software like an extraction file. If this file is in HFSQL format or in WDMSG format, it can be handled by WDTRAD only.

This comparison file contains:

the messages identical in both languages.
the messages only displayed in the reference language.

The comparison file can be checked in once the modifications have been made. This check-in is performed like it is performed for the extraction file.

Note: This file can be empty if no translation inconsistency was detected.

How to proceed?

Comparing the project messages

To compare the messages of your project:

Open your project in WINDEV, WEBDEV or WINDEV Mobile ("File .. Open a project").Open your project in WINDEV, WEBDEV or WINDEV Mobile: on the "Home" pane, in the "General" group, expand "Open" and select "Open a project".
Start WDMSG ("Tools .. WDMsg .. List of untranslated messages"). The WDMSG wizard starts. Start WDMSG: on the "Project" pane, in the "Translate" group, expand "Translate" and select "List of untranslated messages". The message comparison wizard starts.
Choose the reference language. The different messages will be displayed in this reference language.

Versions 21 and later
Note: The name of custom languages is also proposed.
New in version 21
Note: The name of custom languages is also proposed.
Note: The name of custom languages is also proposed.
Go to the next wizard step.
Choose the language to compare.

Versions 21 and later
Note: The name of custom languages is also proposed.
New in version 21
Note: The name of custom languages is also proposed.
Note: The name of custom languages is also proposed.
The comparison file will contain the messages:
- that are identical in the reference language and in the language to compare.
- that only exist in the language to compare.
Go to the next step.
Select the different elements (windows, pages, reports, ...) whose messages (caption, code message, ...) must be compared.
Go to the next step.
Versions 22 and later
Choose the type of file to generate:
- WDMSG archive. This type of file can only be used to perform a translation with WDTRAD.
- HFSQL file. This type of file can only be used to perform a translation with WDTRAD.
- Text file. This type of file can be used to perform a translation with WDTRAD or with another translation software.
New in version 22
Choose the type of file to generate:
- WDMSG archive. This type of file can only be used to perform a translation with WDTRAD.
- HFSQL file. This type of file can only be used to perform a translation with WDTRAD.
- Text file. This type of file can be used to perform a translation with WDTRAD or with another translation software.
Choose the type of file to generate:
- WDMSG archive. This type of file can only be used to perform a translation with WDTRAD.
- HFSQL file. This type of file can only be used to perform a translation with WDTRAD.
- Text file. This type of file can be used to perform a translation with WDTRAD or with another translation software.
Go to the next step.
Select the different parameters of comparison file (these parameters are presented below). These parameters are the same as the ones used during the check-out. Your file can be checked back in after correction.
Go to the next step.
Validate. The comparison file is created in the selected directory (project directory by default). This file can be translated by a specific software (text format only) or by WDTRAD, tool for message translation supplied with WDMSG.

Notes:

This comparison file may be empty if no messages correspond to the comparison.
For a comparison in the format of data files in HFSQL format, 3 files are included in the comparison file:
- data file (.fic),
- index file (.ndx),
- memo file (.mmo).

Comparison parameters

The comparison parameters are as follows:

Generate the comments: if this option is enabled, comment lines will be added into the created text file. These lines are used to find out the origin of messages (messages associated with a control, a window, ...).
Add the shortcuts: this parameter allows you to include the "&" character in the captions of controls to specify the control shortcut.
Reminder: This shortcut is used to directly position on the control at run time by pressing Alt + Letter. In the control caption, any letter preceded by the "&" character automatically becomes the control "shortcut".
Convert to OEM format: if this option is enabled, the text will be in OEM format (format of DOS characters, usable with a DOS software); otherwise, the text will be in ANSI format (format of Windows characters, usable with a Windows software).
Name of comparison file: name and path of the comparison file containing the checked-out messages. This information can be modified with the browse button ("..."). If the extension of this name is:
- ".txt", the extraction file will be a file in text format.
- ".fic", the extraction will be an HFSQL data file.
- Versions 20 and later
  ".wdmsg", the extraction file will be a file in WDMSG format.
  Note: We recommend that you use files in WDMSG format.
  New in version 20
  ".wdmsg", the extraction file will be a file in WDMSG format.
  Note: We recommend that you use files in WDMSG format.
  ".wdmsg", the extraction file will be a file in WDMSG format.
  Note: We recommend that you use files in WDMSG format.

The extraction parameters common to all extraction file types are as follows:

Keep the shortcut indicator ("&") in the checked-out messages : this parameter allows you to include the "&" character in the captions of controls to specify the control shortcut.
Reminder: This shortcut is used to directly position on the control at run time by pressing Alt + Letter. In the control caption, any letter preceded by the "&" character automatically becomes the control "shortcut".
Convert to OEM format (ANSI by default): if this option is enabled, the text of the extraction file will be in OEM format (format of DOS characters, usable with a DOS software); otherwise, the text will be in ANSI format (format of Windows characters, usable with a Windows software.

You can also define parameters specific to your own translation software (see next paragraph).

Comparison parameters for a translation software

The following parameters are not required if you are using WDTRAD to translate the messages found in your project.

If you are using another translation software, specific parameters must be defined (these parameters may differ according to the software used). The parameters specific to the translation software used are as follows:

Add a delimiter: with some translation software, sections of text can be ignored in the document to translate. To do so, the text sections to ignore must be enclosed in delimiters (specific to the software).
If this option is enabled, all the sections of text specific to the format of the extraction file will be enclosed in delimiters (SSTRX by default) and they will not be translated. See the documentation about the translation software for more details.
Add a space at the beginning of message: with some translation software, a space must be added before the delimiter.
If this option is enabled, a space character is added before the delimiter.
Add a space at the end of message: with some translation software, a space character must be added after the delimiter.
If this option is enabled, a space character is added after the delimiter.

The following parameters are not required if you are using WDTRAD to translate the messages found in your project.

Add a delimiter for the text sections not to translate: with some translation software, sections of text can be ignored in the document to translate. For example, the comments generated by WDMSG can be ignored. To do so, the text sections to ignore must be enclosed in delimiters (specific to the software).
If this option is enabled, all the sections of text specific to the format of the extraction file will be enclosed in delimiters (SSTRX by default) and they will not be translated.
See the documentation about the translation software for more details.
Add a space before the delimiter: with some translation software, a space must be added before the delimiter.
If this option is enabled, a space character is added before the delimiter.
Add a space after the delimiter: with some translation software, a space character must be added after the delimiter.
If this option is enabled, a space character is added after the delimiter.
Add additional information in comment: if this option is enabled, comment lines will be added into the created extraction file. These lines are used to find out the origin of messages (messages associated with a control, a window, ...).