Time-saving tricks in Word?
Tópico cartaz: Maria Danielson
Maria Danielson
Maria Danielson  Identity Verified
Estados Unidos
Local time: 02:52
holandês para inglês
+ ...
Nov 5, 2003

I just had to steam through a 30,000-word dissertation on logistics and distribution. Several words like "distribution" and "transport" and "warehouse" recurred frequently. I used the "autocorrect" feature in Word so that every time I typed "db", Word expanded it to "distribution"; "tp", "transport", etc. It saved me a lot of time.

Does anyone else have any tips like that that help when the deadline is tight?


 
Marijke Singer
Marijke Singer  Identity Verified
Espanha
Local time: 08:52
Membro
holandês para inglês
+ ...
Find and replace Nov 6, 2003

You can use the find and replace function although you have to be careful.

I usually use it to translate 'and' and 'the' but I use the additional search facilities such as match case and find whole words only. You can also search for fonts, styles, special hidden characters (for example, paragraph marks), etc.


 
PAS
PAS  Identity Verified
Local time: 08:52
polonês para inglês
+ ...
time saving Nov 6, 2003

You can use the autocorrect feature to speed up your typing by e.g. typing usd to produce USD (currency). This way you don't have to hold the 'shift' key. Look for things you type often that require awkward keyboard combinations. Just remember not to add things which may mean something else in a different context (e.g. you can't autocorrect "wont" to "won't", because "wont" is also a word.

MS Word also autocorrects things like "dont" to "don't", "doesnt" to "doesn't" etc. (Unless yo
... See more
You can use the autocorrect feature to speed up your typing by e.g. typing usd to produce USD (currency). This way you don't have to hold the 'shift' key. Look for things you type often that require awkward keyboard combinations. Just remember not to add things which may mean something else in a different context (e.g. you can't autocorrect "wont" to "won't", because "wont" is also a word.

MS Word also autocorrects things like "dont" to "don't", "doesnt" to "doesn't" etc. (Unless you're George Bernard Shaw)Sometimes people don't remember this, but the apostrophe is one keystroke you save. They must add up eventually. View the list of autocorrections in the dialog box to see what Word autocorrects for you.

This doesn't apply in English very much, but you can autocorrect words that contain diacriticals. This saves you the bother of punching the alt+1234 combinations.

Learn all the formatting keyboard shortcuts and use them - bold, underline, justify left-right, copy, paste. This way you don't have to use the mouse.
Also learn the keyboard shortcuts for moving around the document - beginning/end of line, beginning/end of document, mark, delete word etc. etc. You can find them on the Microsoft website.

Program keyboard combinations for symbols you use often: legal paragraph sign, temperature degree sign (the little circle) etc. etc. You do this in the Insert symbol dialog.

That's all that comes to my mind now in terms of mundane typing activity. If all this was obvious, I'm sorry, but you asked

HTH
Pawel Skalinski
Collapse


 
Hynek Palatin
Hynek Palatin  Identity Verified
República Tcheca
Local time: 08:52
inglês para tcheco
+ ...
AutoText, shortcuts, macros Nov 6, 2003

I use AutoText entries for larger pieces of text. I also recommend using keyboard shortcuts as much as possible. Ideally, you shouldn't touch your mouse at all. Define simple macros for frequently used operations (eg. Paste as Unformatted text - very useful when copying text from Trados concordance window) and assign them a shortcut.

By the way, Search and Replace could be very effective, but not when you work with Tr
... See more
I use AutoText entries for larger pieces of text. I also recommend using keyboard shortcuts as much as possible. Ideally, you shouldn't touch your mouse at all. Define simple macros for frequently used operations (eg. Paste as Unformatted text - very useful when copying text from Trados concordance window) and assign them a shortcut.

By the way, Search and Replace could be very effective, but not when you work with Trados or another CAT tool.
Collapse


 
Mueen Issa
Mueen Issa  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:52
inglês para árabe
+ ...
in the toolbar, go to insert Nov 6, 2003

auto text, and chose auto text. in the empty field insert whatever you want, a word, a phrase, even a paragraph, then click on add.
now whenever you start writing the same text, the same text will appear in a yellow box, just press enter, and voila.


 
Berni Armstrong
Berni Armstrong  Identity Verified
Espanha
Local time: 08:52
Membro
inglês
+ ...
A noisy option? Nov 6, 2003

Maria Danielson wrote:

...every time I typed \"db\", Word expanded it to \"distribution\";


Watch out next time you do an article on noise or loudspeakers then

Berni
(Putting up with the Decibel Level of our local Swimming Pool's noisy pump at the moment )


 
Maria Danielson
Maria Danielson  Identity Verified
Estados Unidos
Local time: 02:52
holandês para inglês
+ ...
CRIADOR(A) DO TÓPICO
paste as unformatted text new to me Nov 6, 2003

[quote]Hynek Palatin wrote:
Define simple macros for frequently used operations (eg. Paste as Unformatted text - very useful when copying text from Trados concordance window) and assign them a shortcut.


Thanks for this tip! I use Trados and didn't realise you can get around that nasty formatting problem when cutting and pasting.


 
Barnaby Capel-Dunn
Barnaby Capel-Dunn  Identity Verified
Local time: 08:52
francês para inglês
Intellicomplete Nov 6, 2003

You might be interested in this very clever little application available from www.flashpeak.com. It has saved me more time than anything else since I started using it a couple of years ago.

 
Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.  Identity Verified
Equador
Local time: 01:52
inglês para espanhol
+ ...
Intellicomplete Nov 6, 2003

Hi,

I think that the tool you are looking for is Intellicomplete. It can be used to complete words. In a typical software manual I use "herramientas" quite a lot as it is the translation of tools. Whenever I enter "h" the most commonly used words show up and I can choose a number. For example, 1 corresponds to herramientas, so I choose 1 and the software completes the word for me. This is a smart tool, so the words are sorted according to the number of times that you use them.... See more
Hi,

I think that the tool you are looking for is Intellicomplete. It can be used to complete words. In a typical software manual I use "herramientas" quite a lot as it is the translation of tools. Whenever I enter "h" the most commonly used words show up and I can choose a number. For example, 1 corresponds to herramientas, so I choose 1 and the software completes the word for me. This is a smart tool, so the words are sorted according to the number of times that you use them.

This is the site you can download it from:

www.flashpeak.com/icomp/

It costs around $50 after the trial version expires.

Good luck.
Collapse


 
Hynek Palatin
Hynek Palatin  Identity Verified
República Tcheca
Local time: 08:52
inglês para tcheco
+ ...
CTRL+SPACE Nov 6, 2003

Maria,

Another tip for you: You can use CTRL+SPACE on selected text to remove formatting and apply current style.


 
Marijke Singer
Marijke Singer  Identity Verified
Espanha
Local time: 08:52
Membro
holandês para inglês
+ ...
Search and Replace Nov 6, 2003

Hynek Palatin wrote:
By the way, Search and Replace could be very effective, but not when you work with Trados or another CAT tool.


It depends. Sometimes I pretranslate the document (usually when I know there are many words that occur many times) and hide the codes. Then you can search and replace and it is very useful. But you must be careful.


 
Hynek Palatin
Hynek Palatin  Identity Verified
República Tcheca
Local time: 08:52
inglês para tcheco
+ ...
Sorry... Nov 6, 2003

Marijke Singer wrote:

Hynek Palatin wrote:
By the way, Search and Replace could be very effective, but not when you work with Trados or another CAT tool.


It depends. Sometimes I pretranslate the document (usually when I know there are many words that occur many times) and hide the codes. Then you can search and replace and it is very useful. But you must be careful.


You are right, I oversimplified it. Sometimes it's better to search and replace and don't use Trados for that particular section. The user just has to understand what he/she is doing.


 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Time-saving tricks in Word?






TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »
Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »