Thread: New Wordfast versions

Hi everybody!
Does anyone know if it's possible to translate Excel and powerpoint files with Wordfast, the same as with Trados?

Hi Sabrina!!
I was also wondering if Wordfast could work with tagged text....
Is there another more complete version maybe?

Hi Sabrina,
Wordfast can (at least in theory) work with excel and power point files.
Here's what you do:
- Open the xls or ppt file (in excel or powerpoint). In excel, make sure the cell you want to translate is selected.
- Open a blank doc in Word (with wordfast loaded)
- Hit Alt+down or (click "next segment") as if you were translating normally in word, only with a blank document.
Wordfast will grab the segments from the contents of the cell or slide and send the segment to Word, where you translate normally. Every time you confirm a segment and move on, WF sends the translated content back to excel. (Note that the excel and ppt files are overwritten as you go along - there's no cleanup. If you need the original, make sure you work on a copy).
The segments get added to your tm as usual and will catch repetitions in later docs.
In my experience, this works well with excel (although cells are often broken up in strange places so segments might be a little strange).
In the case of powerpoint, not so great. Formatting can get really screwed up and powerpoints sometimes have lots of text boxes, embedded files, etc. that don't work well with it. For a simple presentation, it's fine, but if you do a more complex one, make sure you check as you go along and make sure you leave some time to fix the formatting glitches at the end.
Oh, by the way, you can use WF the same way on pdf files, too, but results vary even more widely than in the case of powerpoints...
Un saludo,
Bill