On this page: Export and Import, Copy Custom Sentences, Notes

The Export Sentences, Import Sentences, and Copy Custom Sentences functions are designed to work together.

Export and Import

Export Sentences copies the sentences stored in the tag definitions of a database to a text file. Import Sentences reads such a file. Together, they may be used to

  1. copy languages, roles, and sentences from one database to another, or
  2. copy roles and sentences from one language to another in the same or a different database.

Let's suppose that you have multiple TMG databases. If you want to synchronize your role and sentence definitions, you can export from one database and import to the other.

You can also copy from one language to another. The ENGLISH sentences, for example, can be imported to ALTERNATE.

Copy Custom Sentences

Copy Custom Sentences can be used to copy sentences that you have customized for specific events and names from one language to another. The feature does not change existing custom sentences in the target language.

If you have recently created or imported sentences for a new language, all the events and names which do not have customized sentences will work fine. But... events which had customized sentences in your primary language will not have customized sentences in the new language(s). That creates a problem: think of single- or double- excluded sentences, or events where some of the information is in the sentence.

This function works best when you are not truly switching languages, such as when you are defining ALTERNATE or ENGLISH2 sentences in addition to ENGLISH. But... you may also find Copy Custom Sentences useful when copying and actually changing languages, such as ENGLISH to FRENCH; in this case, all the custom sentences will be copied and listed in the log. You'll have to edit the sentences manually to do the actual translation, but the basic sentence variables will already be in place. You don't have to say it... I know it's a small help, not a big help!

Notes

The export function exports roles and sentences for either all languages that exist in the tag definitions in the database, or for a single language. The import function imports roles and sentences for a single language at a time. The destination language can be remapped, for example, the ENGLISH sentences in an export file can be imported to ALTERNATE, ENGLISH2, or even FRENCH or GERMAN.

The import file is processed on a tag by tag basis, and tag sentences are modified only when there is an exact match between the tag name in the import file and a tag name in the database. The utility does not create tags.

When both the import file and the database include role sentence(s) for the languages being processed, the program:

  1. Adds roles that are defined in the import file but not in the database.
  2. Keeps roles that are defined in the database but not in the import file.
  3. Keeps the import file version of roles that are defined in both the database and the import file.

Before adding a new role, the program allows the user to change the role name to an existing role. This allows you to handle role-name differences that might occur between databases or languages.