Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs for users who are new to CAT tools
Can you give me a quick overview of what translation memory tools do?
Computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools include a wide variety of software programs that are employed to facilitate various aspects of the translation process. However, often the term CAT tools is used as a synonym for translation memory programs. These are programs that store
previous translations; when you translate new texts, they offer translation suggestions based on material stored in a translation memory.
What are terminology maintenance tools?
Terminology maintenance tools are applications that help to maintain and build complex multilingual glossaries which contain translations, as well as a variety of other information, including grammatical, contextual, or other descriptive attributes. Good terminology maintenance tools often
allow users to interactively view and use existing content and add new information as they translate or prepare for translation.
Is Déjà Vu X a translation memory tool, a terminology management application, or neither?
It’s both, and then some. Déjà Vu X is made up of a number of components, including translation memories and very advanced terminology databases. But what makes Déjà Vu X unique in this respect is its ability to dynamically use both of these components to automatically repair matches that are not perfect.
What are the main differences between machine translation and translation memory?
Translation memory is merely a very advanced way to help translators remember things and to share their memory with others. The computer assists in making suggestions (which it bases on the material it’s been fed in the past), but it is the translator who performs the actual translation. Machine translation, on the other hand, attempts to perform not only lexicological matching and translation, but also grammatical, stylistic, and syntactical. Very few—if any—machine translation implementations have been successful so far.
What's example-based machine translation, and why do you mention it so frequently on your website?
We use the term example-based machine translation to describe Déjà Vu X’s unique ability to selfrepair fuzzy matches from the translation memory by deleting the incorrect part of the sentence and replacing it with the correct one. As long as Déjà Vu X has sufficient terminology databases, it is able to do this process through the close association of the memory matching and assemble processes.
Can I use Déjà Vu X when my client or co-workers use competing tools?
Déjà Vu X is able to handle a great variety of external formats, including Trados Workbench RTF/DOC files or Trados BIF and TTX files. Furthermore, you can process any file that is based on the SGML/XML standard, including many Star Transit files. Translation memory exchange is facilitated through the latest implementation of TMX (the widely supported Translation Memory Exchange format) and other interchange formats, including the Trados Workbench text format. So, the answer is: yes.
Is Déjà Vu X hard to learn?
Well, that’s a difficult question for us to answer. There’s a learning phase for any new tool, but we’ve tried to ease the process by including Wizards to guide you through virtually every aspect of the program. And we have spent intense effort to make our documentation user-friendly and informative (no, this does not have to be an oxymoron!). A great strength of Déjà Vu X is the fact that every file type is processed in the same interface, which we believe makes it much easier to work with than the tools of some of our competitors.
Does Déjà Vu X rely on any other program?
Yes and no. Déjà Vu X does not need any other program to run for most file formats. Remember that all the translation is done in the same interface. There are some file formats, however—including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint—for which Déjà Vu X needs the original application to export and import the files.
What languages does Déjà Vu X support?
Déjà Vu X supports every language as both source and target language that is supported by the Windows system you work on. Because everything is done in Unicode, there is no limitation, even when it comes to complex languages such as East Asian double-byte languages, or right-to-left languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. There is naturally a limit to the number of spellcheckers that Déjà Vu X provides, but a link to the corresponding spellchecker in Microsoft Word allows you to use that if it’s installed.
Does Déjà Vu X come with any existing language material?
No. This is really important to understand. The language knowledge of Déjà Vu X depends entirely on what you teach it, either by translating, importing third-party material, or aligning existing translations.
How fast can I benefit from my investment into Déjà Vu X?
Obviously that depends on your particular situation. We know many users who report a complete return-on-investment in less than a week.
What are the differences between the several versions of Déjà Vu X?
For a chart that outlines the differences between the Editor, Standard, Professional, and Workgroup editions, click here.
FAQs for users of other CAT tools
Does Déjà Vu X have a reliable terminology management component?
Definitely! This is one of the more exciting new features of Déjà Vu X. The multilingual terminology component is now completely configurable with any kind of relation or attribute you find helpful. Apart from that, what distinguishes the terminology maintenance component in Déjà Vu X from other tools is its ability to add new terms on-the-fly, and its capability to dynamically repair fuzzy matches (referred to as “example-based machine translation”).
What is example-based machine translation and why do you mention it so frequently on your website?
We use the term example-based machine translation to describe Déjà Vu X’s unique ability to self-repair fuzzy matches from the translation memory by deleting the incorrect part of the sentence and replacing it with the correct one. Provided that Déjà Vu X has sufficient terminology databases, it is able to do this through the close association of the memory matching and assemble processes.
What is the lexicon?
The lexicon is Déjà Vu X’s automatically generated index of all terms in the project, sorted by number of occurrences. This allows you to create a project-specific bilingual glossary that will overwrite anything it finds in your global terminology database. The lexicon has been a part of
Déjà Vu for many years, and many users see it as one of Déjà Vu X’s strongest components, both from a project management perspective (to quickly create glossaries for all translators) and from a translator’s perspective (to use large global terminology databases as well as these small but more specific lexicons).
Can I use my existing translation memories and terminology databases in other formats?
Yes, if you export the translation memories to TMX or any other format that is supported by Déjà Vu X (such as Trados Text or IBM TM text files). Any or all aspects of the terminology databases can be exported into a variety of formats, including Excel, Access, ODBC-compliant databases, or
delimited text files.
How difficult and different are the workflow processes of Déjà Vu X in comparison with its competitors?
This is difficult to answer because there are a variety of competitors out there who all employ different workflows. One of the major differences of Déjà Vu X in comparison to most of its competitors is the batch approach. Not only is there no limit to the amount of different languages in single
projects, but hundreds or even thousands of files of all supported formats can be translated simultaneously. In fact, you can work on the entire project as one file, or you can choose to view it in as many individual files as you prefer. Déjà Vu X’s batch approach and its resulting capabilities—such as automatically multiplying an exact translation throughout the complete project or filtering hundreds of files for the occurrence of one word or phrase—combine to exponentially increase the efficiency and power of your workflow.
Are there different plug-ins that Déjà Vu X provides for the different programs it supports?
No, because it doesn’t need to. PowerPoint files are not translated within the clumsy PowerPoint environment, or Excel files in Excel. Instead, every supported file format is translated within the exact same environment.
What languages does Déjà Vu X support?
Déjà Vu X supports every language as both source and target language that is supported by the Windows system you work on. Because everything is done in Unicode, there is no limitation, even when it comes to complex languages such as East Asian double-byte languages, or right-to-left languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. There is naturally a limit to the number of spellcheckers that Déjà Vu X provides, but a link to the corresponding spellchecker in Microsoft Word allows you to use that if it's installed.
What are the analysis functions for Déjà Vu X?
Déjà Vu X provides word and character counts for any number of files and/or segments with a certain status (fuzzy, assembled, propagated, etc.). The Workgroup edition also provides a very detailed percentage count for the fuzziness of matches it finds in the associated translation memories.
How frequently is Déjà Vu X upgraded?
Continuously, often more than once a month. These upgrades are by no means limited to bug fixes; they often include substantial program improvements. You are encouraged to regularly check for upgrades on this website or look for an announcement of an upgrade on the user list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dejavu-l.
What are the differences between the several versions of Déjà Vu X?
For a chart that outlines the differences between the Editor, Standard, Professional, and Workgroup editions, click here.
FAQs For Déjà Vu 3 upgraders
I miss the Sentence found box. Is that still available?
Yes. We have made it an option to either have all entries from all the databases (translation memories, terminology databases, and the lexicon) displayed in one AutoSearch pane or in two (AutoSearch - Sentences and AutoSearch - Portions). You can activate this by selecting Tools>Options>Environment>Show sentences and portions in separate windows.
Can I change the new color scheme of Déjà Vu X?
Yes, nearly all colors of Déjà Vu X are configurable, including the colors of the sentence status indicators, the AutoSearch origin indicators, or even the grid lines. You can access these options by selecting Tools>Options>Display.
Is it still possible to import and export folders?
Yes, the Project Explorer allows you to either import and export single and/or multiple files or complete folders. If you choose to import folders, the folder structure (including sub-folders) will be retained, you can import all importable or any subset of files within that structure, and you can access the folder content within Déjà Vu X through a folder icon in the File Navigator.
Where do I adjust import properties?
You can adjust format-specific import properties in the Properties pane within the Project Explorer or for all files of one type within a project under Project>Configure>Filters.
Can I convert my terminology and memory databases from versions 2 and 3?
Yes, you can. If you use the same system for subjects and clients, Déjà Vu X will also import those fields. You can access the conversion options under Tools>Convert, and you can import your existing subjects and clients settings under Tools>Options>Import.
Why are the databases so much larger in Déjà Vu X?
There are essentially two reasons for their larger size. Déjà Vu X uses Unicode throughout the databases, which roughly doubles their size. In addition, it uses a more complex indexing scheme, in which all languages are indexed instead of just the source language as in Déjà Vu 3.
Does the increased size of the databases have an effect on performance, or is there any limitation to the size of the databases?
According to our tests, a Déjà Vu X translation memory with identical content but a larger size than its Déjà Vu 3 counterpart was up to two times faster on the local computer and up to five times faster over a network. Because each language in each of the databases can hold up to 2 GB, we're not aware of any significant limitation for any user that would result from the increase in size.
Can I still communicate to the databases with SQL?
Yes. Déjà Vu X gives you full access to SELECT functions (project files even offer a Wizard-like interface). In the Professional and Workgroup editions you have access to the full variety of SQL statements. You can find sample statements for the different components and/or functions in the Advanced section of the Users' Guide.
What is the new set of subjects that comes with Déjà Vu X? Can I import my old clients and subjects?
The new set of subjects in Déjà Vu X is based on the UDC list of the most commonly used system for subject lists in modern bibliography. UDC is based on the Dewey system, which was the system used in Déjà Vu 3. You can import your old clients and subjects as well as various other settings by selecting Tools>Options>Import.
What is the difference between the File Navigator and the Project Explorer?
The Project Explorer gives you access to your computer disks and/or network to import and export files and folders into a project and to set format-specific import and export properties. The File Navigator is an additional pane within a Déjà Vu X project that allows you to quickly access the different files and the project lexicon.
Do I need to have the File Navigator open while I translate?
No, you can close, resize, and open any of the different panes and windows within Déjà Vu X's environment.
Where is the 2-column+ID feature?
The 2-column+ID feature is now called "External View". Because there are now several ways to share files with Déjà Vu X in combination with the freely distributed Déjà Vu X Editor, the functionality of the External View is a little different from the 2-column+ID feature in Déjà Vu 3. You can now include already translated rows into an External View file for purposes of editing or proofing or empty rows to which comments have been added so that questions can be answered. The formats of the External Views that are now supported include HTML and Word.
Can I have Déjà Vu 3 and Déjà Vu X installed on the same computer?
Yes, you can. There is no cross-over in the files that either of these versions access. This also means that you can uninstall Déjà Vu 3 without causing any harm to an existing Déjà Vu X installation.
How do I upgrade my dongle?
After registering your existing version of Déjà Vu 3 (see the option Register product online in the Help menu of the latest update to Déjà Vu 3), you can request a code that will update your dongle from within Déjà Vu 3 (Help>Request update to DVX online) or after you installed Déjà Vu X (Select Request Upgrade when you are prompted during the startup). Once you receive the appropriate code, you can enter it unter Help>Upgrade dongle in Déjà Vu X.
Where do I adjust the fuzziness setting?
The fuzziness setting is now given in percentages. You can adjust it under Tools>General>Minimum score.
How do I open the terminology database and the translation memory?
All the different Déjà Vu X files (translation memories, terminology databases, SGML/XML files, and of course project files) can be opened in the main interface. Just select File>Open, adjust the Files of Type specification, and open the corresponding file.
What is the relationship of the different languages and sub-languages to each other? Will Déjà Vu X recognize a British English term in my American English project?
Yes, it will. If, however, Déjà Vu X finds two exact or equally fuzzy matches of different sub-languages (source or target), it will give preference to the match with the same sub-language as the one in the project.
What is the cache expiry period?
The cache expiry period is a mechanism to speed up the AutoSearch process. You can specify how many seconds to keep information on recent matches in the cache. This cache storage function allow Déjà Vu X to bypass the normal search through the databases.
What are primary and secondary windows?
We implemented this differentiation in response to requests for different font sizes in the primary windows (the main grid in the project file and the database views) and the secondary windows (the search panes). You can adjust the fonts under Tools>Display>Windows Type.
What are guaranteed matches?
Guaranteed matches are exact matches whose source sentence as well as the surrounding sentences are identical. You can adjust the number of required surrounding sentences under Translation>Pretranslate>Context Size.
How does Pseudotranslation differ from Pretranslation?
Pseudotranslation has nothing to do with Pretranslation. It is simply a "dummy" translation during which certain characters of the source language are replaced with special characters of the particular target language and the target language is expanded by a customizable percentage. This can be used as a pretranslation quality check to verify that the resulting documents can be displayed properly in the target language.
What are the differences between the several versions of Déjà Vu X?
For a chart that outlines the differences between the Editor, Standard, Professional, and Workgroup editions, click here.
