Problem with Multiterm 7 naming my termbases Thread poster: Susanne Lomander
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I have been using Trados for 7 years, and although Multiterm 7 is a vast improvement on previous versions in many ways, one extremely frustrating issue is the autocratic naming (numbering) and saving of termbases - without consulting me!!
In the past, I could easily create new termbases for my different language combinations and subjects, and choose what to call them and where to save them, even change their name in Windows Explorer and then just "pick them up" using MT.
... See more I have been using Trados for 7 years, and although Multiterm 7 is a vast improvement on previous versions in many ways, one extremely frustrating issue is the autocratic naming (numbering) and saving of termbases - without consulting me!!
In the past, I could easily create new termbases for my different language combinations and subjects, and choose what to call them and where to save them, even change their name in Windows Explorer and then just "pick them up" using MT.
Now I have a huge mess of multiple termbases, because MT7 saves all new termbases in a default folder (or are they duplicates of the ones I save in my own folders?), and numbers them internally instead of saving them with the same name that I give them inside MT7. So now I cannot figure out which one is the "latest" version, or which one is which.
The result is that I have probably around 20-30 MT7 termbases saved in different locations on my computer, probably with quite a few duplicates, and no way of organizing them the way I want.
One main reason for keeping a more organized track of my MT termbases is for backup purposes, and because I constantly swich from my PC to my laptop, and want to easily locate and copy the termbase I was just working on. This file management is critical for my work, and I find that MT7 has completely screwed up my system.
Is there anyone out there who knows if you can override the internal numbering/naming system, and how I can regain control of what they are named and where they are saved?
If not - how do you others overcome this frustrating flaw in MT7? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Naming of termbases | Feb 12, 2007 |
I have experienced exactly the same problem. In two weeks time I will hopefully take part in a MT course and this is an issue I am hoping to get a workaround for. I will e-mail you as soon as I have solved the problem. It drives me crazy not being able to name them according to the content.
Best regards/Gull-Britt
| | | | Hynek Palatin 
Czech Republic
Local time: 19:41
Member (2003)
English to Czech
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| Naming termbases | Feb 12, 2007 |
Susanne Lopez wrote:
One main reason for keeping a more organized track of my MT termbases is for backup purposes, and because I constantly swich from my PC to my laptop, and want to easily locate and copy the termbase I was just working on. This file management is critical for my work, and I find that MT7 has completely screwed up my system.
You can backup and transfer termbases via Termbase - Package/Delete Termbase - Package the termbase to this file. You can give the file any name. Just be careful not to check "Delete termbase permanently".
Importing termbases: Termbase - Load External Termbase.
| | | | Ralf Lemster
Germany
Local time: 19:41
English to German
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| 'Friendly name' vs. file name | Feb 12, 2007 |
Hi Gull-Britt,
It drives me crazy not being able to name them according to the content.
But of course you can - what you need to distinguish is the name of the termbase you're assigning (also referred to as the 'friendly name') and the file name of the database file.
Details are provided in section 1-14 of the SDL MultiTerm User Guide.
HTH, Ralf
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Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 19:41
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
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SITE LOCALIZER | how do you others overcome this frustrating flaw in MT7? | Feb 12, 2007 |
you need to know just a little - very little - of Microsoft Access.
There's a MTmaster.mdb in ...\all users\application data\TRADOS\multiterm\termbases
(yeah, I know, it's a mouthful - but it's not THAT difficult to locate). There's two tables in this mdb and the one of interest is called "termbases":
It's a sort of a switchboard and it looks like this in my case (I anonymized the names but you get the idea)
PhysicalName FriendlyNam... See more you need to know just a little - very little - of Microsoft Access.
There's a MTmaster.mdb in ...\all users\application data\TRADOS\multiterm\termbases
(yeah, I know, it's a mouthful - but it's not THAT difficult to locate). There's two tables in this mdb and the one of interest is called "termbases":
It's a sort of a switchboard and it looks like this in my case (I anonymized the names but you get the idea)
PhysicalName FriendlyName Published Path
mxw_49..DE SL - engineering..........Y.... I:\Translations\Dictionary TermBases\
mxw_18..DE SL - misc.....................Y.... I:\Translations\Dictionary TermBases\
mxw_11..DE SL - use case...............Y.... I:\Translations\Dictionary TermBases\
mxw_47..EN DE SP IT......................Y.... I:\Translations\Dictionary TermBases\
... etc...
You can edit this table like you edit excel spreadsheet. You see that you can
a) change the file name
b) change the friendly name - so that you know what's in there
c) change the location
I never tried to change the Physical name (a) - but I guess even this could work.
[Edited at 2007-02-12 18:27] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Susanne Lomander
Sweden
Local time: 19:41
Swedish to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Unique numbering system | Feb 12, 2007 |
[quote]Ralf Lemster wrote:
But of course you can - what you need to distinguish is the name of the termbase you're assigning (also referred to as the 'friendly name') and the file name of the database file.
Details are provided in section 1-14 of the SDL MultiTerm User Guide.
Hi Ralf:
Section 1-14 (page 26) only states what I already know, ie that MT7 numbers the databases, instead of saving them with my "friendly name", thus making my life unnecessarily complicated.
My point is that this system is awkward and frustrating, at least for those of us who are used to managing many separate TM and MT databases in the same way we organize, name and save other files in Windows.
Before, I could easily access, copy, backup or delete any of my termbases in Windows Explorer, as they were called what I named them. Ie "friendly name = file name".
With MT7, the only way to know the "friendly" name of the termbase I want is by using MT7, I cannot figure it out by looking at the actual termbase, which is just called mxw_13.mdb.
My problem is when I want to backup my most recently used termbase, or copy one specific one to my laptop when on the go, I can't tell which one is which (unless I open MT7 first and then look it up, close MT7 and find the corresponding number in Explorer).
Am I right, or am I missing some genial step in managing MT7 termbases?
Thanks for your input!
| | | | Ralf Lemster
Germany
Local time: 19:41
English to German
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| Adding to what Hynek and Vito said | Feb 12, 2007 |
Hi again, Susanne,
Section 1-14 (page 26) only states what I already know, ie that MT7 numbers the databases, instead of saving them with my "friendly name", thus making my life unnecessarily complicated.
My point is that this system is awkward and frustrating, at least for those of us who are used to managing many separate TM and MT databases in the same way we organize, name and save other files in Windows.
It also refers to MTMaster.mdb, which contains the list which cross-references file names to friendly names.
With MT7, the only way to know the "friendly" name of the termbase I want is by using MT7, I cannot figure it out by looking at the actual termbase, which is just called mxw_13.mdb.
Just look at the Termbasestable in MTmaster.mdb.
My problem is when I want to backup my most recently used termbase, or copy one specific one to my laptop when on the go, I can't tell which one is which (unless I open MT7 first and then look it up, close MT7 and find the corresponding number in Explorer).
What I do is to maintain termbases in the standard location on both desktop and laptop (c - Documents and Settings - All Users - Application Data - TRADOS - MultiTerm - Termbases). All I need to do is to synchronise the contents of this folder on both machines.
HTH, Ralf
| | | | Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 19:41
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | mxw_?? vs free names | Feb 12, 2007 |
Ralf Lemster wrote: ... What I do is to maintain termbases in the standard location on both desktop and laptop (c - Documents and Settings - All Users - Application Data - TRADOS - MultiTerm - Termbases). All I need to do is to synchronise the contents of this folder on both machines.
Sticking to this location has an additional benefit: you can rename the MDBs to more sensible names - i.e. rename both in the subdirectory AND in the MTmaster -.
Renaming does not work for other path names - my I:\.... is in this case ignored / defaulted back to the default subdirectory specified above.
smo
[Edited at 2007-02-12 20:20]
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Ralf Lemster
Germany
Local time: 19:41
English to German
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| Just a word of caution... | Feb 12, 2007 |
...before you start editing MTmaster.mdb, make sure to make a backup copy. If you screw up the settings in the master database, your termbases might be lost.
But of course, this is neither black magic nor rocket science.
Happy editing!
Best, Ralf
| | | | Alaa Zeineldine
Egypt
Local time: 19:41
Member (2002)
English to Arabic
+ ...
| Unbelievably user unfriendly | Apr 23, 2007 |
I just installed Multiterm2007 and was hoping that I won't have to guess at the correlation between each *.mdb file and the Multiterm database that I had previously created.
The installation told me that some termbases were backed up and asked whether I want them restored, so I agreed, it then cautioned me to reorganize them before I start to use them again. I felt relieved that this time round things will go smoothly, and I might just have to open each termbase and reorganize it.<... See more I just installed Multiterm2007 and was hoping that I won't have to guess at the correlation between each *.mdb file and the Multiterm database that I had previously created.
The installation told me that some termbases were backed up and asked whether I want them restored, so I agreed, it then cautioned me to reorganize them before I start to use them again. I felt relieved that this time round things will go smoothly, and I might just have to open each termbase and reorganize it.
Alas! All I could find are the mtx*.mdb files just like the last time I upgraded. Now I have to solve this horrible puzzle once again for the many termbases I have, let alone that each one can have several *.mdb versions.
As if this upgrade is not written for the user who used the previous version.
All I can think to myself is "What is this?".
The idea behind computer programs is not to make users do by hand the steps that computer programs ought to automate, let alone undo these steps every time the poor user upgrades. ▲ Collapse
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