Using import to update or merge .mdd files
Depending on the nature of the revisions, Import by Source Language and Import by Name might be useful for updating partially or previously translated .mdd files, or merging two different versions of the same .mdd file.
Example 1
An .mdd file has been translated, and you then receive an updated version of the original .mdd file, with modified source text but with no new translated text. You can use Import by Source Language to import previously translated text into the updated file that contains the modified source text.
▪Open the updated file that contains the modified source text, and then import the file that contains the original source text and any translated text.
▪For all items where the source text in the two files match, the target text from the translated file will be imported into the updated file (assuming the target cells in the updated file are empty).
▪For any items where the source text from the two files does not match, the target cells in the updated file will remain empty. This indicates that these items are either new or have been modified, and require translation.
Example 2
Two different translators use two different copies of the same .mdd file to translate different sections; then you need to merge the two versions together. You can use Import by Name to merge the two files.
▪If there are any overlapping translated items, open the file with the translated version of the overlapping items that you want to keep and then import the other version of the file.
▪For every item in the open file with a blank cell in the target language, the text from the imported file will be inserted.
Import by Name does not compare the source text; it imports text based on the value of the Name column. Text is imported to empty target cells if the Name values match, even if the source text does not.
When using Import be aware that:
▪Both .mdd files must have the same base language.
▪You can only import one language at a time.
See also