Forum: CAT Tools Technical Help
Topic: What is a clean file?
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: What a clean file is for you
[quote]Jenny Nilsson wrote:
I can't find what a clean file is, but by the name I can guess that it is a text file with target text. [/quote]
The "clean" file is the file in its final format, i.e. the translation.
It does not mean a plain text file, though. It means the translated file, in the same format as the original file.
A "clean" file is an odd term with an interesting history. Older CAT tools added some hidden codes to the source text file, while turning it into a target text file, and that is why a file that contains both source and target text is still often called an "uncleaned" file. To "clean" the file meant to remove the source text and all of the hidden codes that were added by the CAT tool. These days, people still use the word "clean" file for the final file, even though the process doesn't involve any "cleaning" anymore.
[quote]If this is the case, I should be able to find something called "clean file" in a cat tool (currently looking at cafetran). [/quote]
The command would be something like "save as target" or "create target file" or similar. Only in a few CAT tools that use the old method would you still find the command "to clean" the file.
[Edited at 2015-11-05 22:37 GMT]
Topic: What is a clean file?
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: What a clean file is for you
[quote]Jenny Nilsson wrote:
I can't find what a clean file is, but by the name I can guess that it is a text file with target text. [/quote]
The "clean" file is the file in its final format, i.e. the translation.
It does not mean a plain text file, though. It means the translated file, in the same format as the original file.
A "clean" file is an odd term with an interesting history. Older CAT tools added some hidden codes to the source text file, while turning it into a target text file, and that is why a file that contains both source and target text is still often called an "uncleaned" file. To "clean" the file meant to remove the source text and all of the hidden codes that were added by the CAT tool. These days, people still use the word "clean" file for the final file, even though the process doesn't involve any "cleaning" anymore.
[quote]If this is the case, I should be able to find something called "clean file" in a cat tool (currently looking at cafetran). [/quote]
The command would be something like "save as target" or "create target file" or similar. Only in a few CAT tools that use the old method would you still find the command "to clean" the file.
[Edited at 2015-11-05 22:37 GMT]