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How Markdown is Processed by Wordfast Pro 8, Trados Studio 2022, and Phrase

Introduction

I wrote this file to test how three Computer-Aided Translation programs — Wordfast Pro 8, Trados Studio 2022, and Phrase — read Markdown files.

What is a CAT?

Computer-Aided Translation software (usually known as CAT) is a program that helps translators translate various files, including Markdown *.md files.

There are many diferent CATs. Three of them are Wordfast Pro, Trados Studio, and Phrase.

Why is This Important?

Markdown files have unusual formatting. The syntax for bold can be for example: __bold__.
The question arises: Will a CAT know which symbol is part of Markdown syntax and which is used as part of the text?

And to make it even spicier, I also included a few HTML tags to see how they are read in combination with Markdown syntax.

We’ll learn soon enough.

Markdown Syntax

General Information

I’ll check the following Markdown syntax:

  1. Basic Syntax:
    1. Header
    2. Bold
    3. Italic
    4. Strikethrough
    5. Ordered List
    6. Unordered List
  2. Links:
    1. Links to Sections with Headers
    2. Links to Files
    3. Links to Images
    4. Links to Websites
    5. Links to YouTube
  3. Quotations:
    1. Blockquote
    2. Inline Code
    3. Code Block
  4. Extended Syntax:
    1. Tables
    2. Definition
    3. Task List
    4. Emoji
    5. Highlight
    6. Subscript
    7. Superscript
    8. Footnotes
    9. Ignoring Markdown Formatting
    10. Comments to Be Omitted

This will allow us to see which elements of Markdown syntax are — or are not — read by three CATs:

  • Wordfast Pro 8
  • Trados Studio 2022
  • Phrase

Basic Syntax

This section contains basic Markdown syntax.

I’ve used three types of headers in this text.

Syntax:

# Header 1
## Header 2
### Header 3

Bold

This text is in bold.
This text is in bold.

Syntax:

  • **This text is in bold.**
  • __This text is in bold.__

Italic

This text is in italic.
This text is in italic.

Syntax:

  • *This text is in italic.*
  • _This text is in italic._

Strikethrough

This text is in strikethrough.

Syntax: ~~This text is in strikethrough.~~

Ordered List

This is a sample ordered list:

  1. Item 1
  2. Item 2
  3. Item 3
    1. Subitem 3.1
    2. Subitem 3.2

Syntax:

1. Item 1
2. Item 2
3. Item 3
   1. Subitem 3.1
   2. Subitem 3.2

Unordered List

This is a sample unordered list:

  • Item 1
  • Item 2
  • Item 3
    • Subitem 3
    • Subitem 3

Syntax:

- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
  - Subitem 3
  - Subitem 3

Combination of Basic Syntax

  1. Item with very important text
    • this simply wrong
    • this is very important as well
  2. Another combination of bold and italic
    1. this is bold but folly, so I crossed it out

Syntax:

1. *Item with **very important** text*
   - this **simply ~~*wrong*~~**
   - this is __very _important___ as well
2. Another _**combination** of __bold__ and italic_
   1. ~~this is *__bold__ but folly*, so I crossed it out~~

Here we’ll see how different types of links are interpreted by Wordfast Pro, Trados Studio 2022, and Phrase.

The link to section on Bold is here.

The link to a Markdown file in the repository is here.

  1. The link to an image in the repository is here.

  2. The link to a displayed image in the repository is here:

    Shark

  3. The link to a displayed image from the internet:

    Cieszyn

The link to my website Translatorion.com is here.

The link to an embedded David Bowie video on YouTube is here:

I am a DJ.

Links with Hover Text

Find a few examples of links with hover text below.

  1. The link to section on Bold with a hover text is here.
  2. The link to a displayed image in the repository with a hover text is here:

Shark

  1. The link to my website Translatorion.com is here.

Syntax for links — examples:

  1. [**Bold** is here](#bold)
  2. ![Shark](images/IMG_20200401_210429.jpg "A Technical Writer Shark")
  3. [![I am a DJ](http://img.youtube.com/vi/MRRmU_pOXnk/0.jpg)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRRmU_pOXnk "I am what I play")

Quotations

This section contains various ways of quoting text or code.

Blockquote

This is an example of a quote.

This quote is inside a quote.

inside a quote

This quote doesn’t also includes basic syntax and a link.

— Confusius

Syntax:

> This is an example of a quote.
>
> > This quote is [inside a quote](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dream_Within_a_Dream "Inception before it was cool").
> > >![inside a quote](./images/deeper.jpg "Deep")
> 
> This quote ~~doesn't~~ *also* include*s* __basic syntax__ and a [*link*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link,_West_Virginia).
> 
> — *Confusius*

Inline Code

This is an example of a sentence with an inline code of a text in **bold** and _italic_.

Syntax:

`**bold** and _italic_`

Code Block

This is an example of code block with Markdown syntax:

1. __Bold__
2. *Italic*
   1. ~~Strikethrough~~
3. > Quotation:
   > - unordered list
4. Link [to a very wise person](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Schopenhauer)

This is an example of code block with JavaScript syntax:

// This is the code I found somewhere and adapted to another project.
var interval;

function countdown() {
  clearInterval(interval);
  interval = setInterval( function() {
      var timer = $('.js-timeout').html();
      timer = timer.split(':');
      var minutes = timer[0];
      var seconds = timer[1];
      seconds -= 1;
      if (minutes < 0) return;
      else if (seconds < 0 && minutes != 0) {
          minutes -= 0;
          seconds = 40;
      }
      else if (seconds < 10 && length.seconds != 2) seconds = '0' + seconds;

      $('.js-timeout').html(minutes + ':' + seconds);

      if (minutes == 0 && seconds == 0) clearInterval(interval);
  }, 1000);
}

$('#js-startTimer').click(function () {
  $('.js-timeout').text("00:40");
  countdown();
});

$('#js-resetTimer').click(function () {
  $('.js-timeout').text("00:40");
  clearInterval(interval);
});

Syntax (part): ` js // This is the code I found somewhere and adapted to another project. var interval; `

Extended Syntax

This section contains extended syntax.

Tables

No. Name Surname Photo Age
1. John the Fearless Valois John the Fearless 48
2. Philip the Good Valois Philip the Good 70
3. Charles the Bold Valois Charles the Bold 44
4. Mary of Burgundy Valois Habsburg Mary of Burgundy 25

Syntax (part):

| No. | Name | Surname | Photo | Age |
| :--- | :---: | :---: | --- | ---: |
| 1. | [**John _the Fearless_**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Fearless) | [__Valois__](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Valois) | ![John the Fearless](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Flemish_School_-_Lille_-_John%2C_Duke_of_Burgundy.jpg/173px-Flemish_School_-_Lille_-_John%2C_Duke_of_Burgundy.jpg "John the Fearless")|   48 |

Task List

This is a sample task list:

  • Task one
  • Task two
  • Task three
    • Subtask three.one
    • Subtask three.two
  • Task four

Syntax: - [ ] task name

Emoji

This is a sample list of emojis:

  • :wink:
  • :uk:
  • :cat:
  • :tm:
  • :aquarius:

Syntax: :wink:

Highlight

This is a sample Markdown ==highlight==. ==Not all== Markdown processors interpret this highlighting.

Syntax: ==text==.

Subscript

This is a sample Markdown ~subscript~. ~Not all~ Markdown processors interpret this subscript.

Syntax: ~text~.

Superscript

This is a sample Markdown ^superscript^. ^Not all^ Markdown processors interpret this superscript.

Syntax: ^text^.

Footnotes

This is a sentence with a footnote.1

Syntax: This is a sentence with a footnote.[^1]

This is another footnote. 2

Syntax: This is another footnote. [^bignote]

Ignoring Markdown Formatting

A short list of ignored Markdown formatting:

  • **bold**
  • _italic_
  • ~~strikethrough~~
  • `*code*`

Syntax: \*\*bold**

Comments to Be Omitted

Below this sentence there’s a comment to be omitted by Markdown processors:

Syntax: <!--- Comment --->

Summary

This sums ~down~ ^up^:

  • the Basic Markdown Syntax :sweat_smile:
  • And all of it in a *.md file
  • This_is___so__emphatic — thisissoemphatic

HTML and Other Tags

General Information

I’ll check the following HTML and other tags:

  1. Paragraph
  2. Code
  3. Collapsed Section
  4. Keyboard Keys
  5. Definition
  6. Highlight
  7. Subscript
  8. Superscript
  9. Combination of Tags and Markdown Syntax
  10. Pure HTML Syntax with JavaScript

Paragraph

**This is *lorem ipsum***: lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur ullamcorper ante sit amet aliquet convallis. Integer mollis urna quis velit mattis facilisis.

Vestibulum pulvinar sed eros vitae eleifend. Mauris et ligula metus. Nunc elementum vestibulum arcu quis ultricies. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

Syntax: <p>Lorem ipsum</p>

==Note==: Markdown syntax is ignored in block elements, like <p></p> HTML tag.

Code

This is sample code:

  • \<p>Access code: Denied\</p>
  • **bold** _italic_

Syntax:

  • <code>\<p>Access code: Denied\</p></code>
  • <code>**bold** _italic_</code>

==Note==: Markdown syntax is not ignored in span elements, like <code></code> tags.

Collapsed Section

This is a normal section.

Unroll another section

*Text* with __different__ ~~formatting~~. | No. | Name | Surname | | --- | --- | --- | | 1. | Agnes | **Aardvark** | | 2. | Burt | _Butterly_ | A very [important link](https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ?t=43).

Syntax (part):

<details><summary>Unroll another section</summary>
<p>

*Text* with __different__ ~~formatting~~.

</p>
</details>

Keyboard Keys

Use W, S, A, D keys to move your character in a video game.

And never touch the Windows key :exploding_head:!

Syntax: <kbd>Windows</kbd>

Definition

This is a sample definition.

"Definition":
a statement that explains the meaning of a word or phrase
a description of the features and limits of something

From Cambridge Dictionary.

Syntax:

<dl>
"Definition":
<dt> a statement that explains the meaning of a word or phrase </dt>
<dt> a description of the features and limits of something </dt>
</dl>

Highlight

This is a sample HTML highlight. Not all Markdown processors interpret this highlighting.

Syntax: <mark>text</mark>

Subscript

This is a sample HTML subscript. Not all Markdown processors interpret this subscript.

Syntax: <sub>text</sub>

Superscript

This is a sample HTML superscript. Not all Markdown processors interpret this superscript.

Syntax: <sup>text</sup>

Combination of Tags and Markdown Syntax

This is a combination of various key components of Markdown and HTML tags.

Syntax:

*This* is __a combination__ of <mark>various</mark> <kbd>key</kbd> <sup>components</sup> of [Markdown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown) and <em>HTML</em> <code>tags</code>.

Pure HTML Syntax with JavaScript

This is an HTML text with added styles.

This is just a plain HTML text within div style.

This is just a plain HTML text without any style.

This is a JavaScript sample that counts down from 40 seconds to 0.

Countdown: 00:40.

Syntax:

<html>
   <head>
      <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.2.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
      <style>
         .jotaro {
            background-color: #4f8866;
            padding: 30px;
            border: 5px solid #385A6B;
         }
        .wikkeda {
            font-size: 150%;
            font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
            color: #385A6B;
            font-style: italic;
        }
    </style>
   </head>
    <body>
      <div class="jotaro">
         <p class="wikkeda">
            This is an <kbd>HTML</kbd> text with added <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-z6u5hFgPk">styles</a>.
         </p>
         <p>
            This is just a plain <em>HTML</em> text within <code>div</code> style.
         </p>
      </div>
      <div>
         <p>
            This is just a plain <em>HTML</em> text without any style.
         </p>
         <p>
            This is a JavaScript sample that counts down from 40 seconds to 0.
         </p>
         <p>   
            Countdown: <span class="js-timeout">00:40</span>.
         </p>
            <button id="js-startTimer">Start Countdown</button>
            <button id="js-resetTimer">Stop &amp; Reset</button>
            <script src="./timer.js"></script>
      </div>
    </body>
</html>

Summary

This sums up combination of HTML tags within an *.md file.

Conclusion

I hope this extensive — but definitely not exhaustive — list of Markdown and HTML tags will be a good test for Wordfast Pro, Trados Studio 2022, and Phrase.

I’ve written this Markdown file in Visual Studio Code that doesn’t show the following elements in the preview window:

  • highlight
  • subscript
  • superscript
  • footnotes
  • collapsed section
  • definition
  • JavaScript

Also, not all Markdown syntax or HTML tags work in Github viewer.

Sources

  1. Markdownguide.org
  2. Keyboard glyphs
  3. Collapsed sections
  4. Daring Fireball

  1. Additional information ↩

  2. Even more additional information ↩