My log of Wordfast Pro usability issues (version 5.11.1)
Thread poster: Comunican
Comunican
Comunican
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:54
Spanish to English
+ ...
Oct 4, 2019

So, we have a new version of Wf Pro and yet still so many basic usability issues unresolved...

I'm clearly wasting my time using the Feedback function in the app, since the development team appear not to take on board (or even acknowledge) any of the numerous feedback comments and suggestions I have made.

So I'm starting this Proz post, in the hope that Wordfast will start to take notice. This list of basic bugs and bug-bears is far from complete, so I will add to it.
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So, we have a new version of Wf Pro and yet still so many basic usability issues unresolved...

I'm clearly wasting my time using the Feedback function in the app, since the development team appear not to take on board (or even acknowledge) any of the numerous feedback comments and suggestions I have made.

So I'm starting this Proz post, in the hope that Wordfast will start to take notice. This list of basic bugs and bug-bears is far from complete, so I will add to it. Please feel free to add any others that irritate you, too.

1. When copying a piece of text from Wf Pro to enter into a dictionary or web search etc, Wf Pro doesn't strip out the formatting codes. For example, I get <b realtype="bold">Technical ceramics by extrusion</b> when all I really want is "Technical ceramics by extrusion" (!)

2. Window positioning and sizes are not remembered from one session to the next, meaning that I have to resize and move my TM and Glossary windows every time I open the app.

3. Numbers. I just don't understand why they don't address this issue since we all have to work on tables of numbers from time to time. So, if I have a list of items - eg XX-01, XX-02, XX-03 etc, and for the first of these (XX-01), I simply copy the source into the target (given that it is a reference number and no change is needed), why when I get XX-02 does Wf Pro offer me XX-01 rather than recognising that the only difference is the number and suggesting XX-02. Or when I get a measurement - eg 1,48 mm - why does it show me a previous match of "1.28 mm" rather than "1.48 mm"? Immensely frustrating and hard to understand why they don't sort this out.

These are three issues that I have encountered just in the two hours I've been working this morning... they seem like they should be so easy to fix.
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B D Finch
Gld8
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 21:54
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Numbers Oct 4, 2019

Comunican wrote:
1. When I get XX-02 does Wf Pro offer me XX-01 rather than recognising that the only difference is the number and suggesting XX-02.
2. When I get a measurement - eg 1,48 mm - why does it show me a previous match of "1.28 mm" rather than "1.48 mm"?


All versions of Wordfast (Classic and Pro) have always had this problem.


Comunican
 
Edward Potter
Edward Potter  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 21:54
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Wordfast Pro numbers Oct 4, 2019

Indeed, the numbers often come out wrong in WF Pro. It can actually slow you down, which is the opposite of what a CAT seeks to do.

Often the numbers come from tables. Sometimes I will edit the tables in the source document (saving it under a different name) then use the new saved document. If that doesn't work, I'll delete the tables before working with the document in Wordfast. After translating, I'll re-insert the tables to the cleaned document.

This is not ideal b
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Indeed, the numbers often come out wrong in WF Pro. It can actually slow you down, which is the opposite of what a CAT seeks to do.

Often the numbers come from tables. Sometimes I will edit the tables in the source document (saving it under a different name) then use the new saved document. If that doesn't work, I'll delete the tables before working with the document in Wordfast. After translating, I'll re-insert the tables to the cleaned document.

This is not ideal by any means, but it could give a little bit of comfort.
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Comunican
 
Katalin Horváth McClure
Katalin Horváth McClure  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 16:54
Member (2002)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
I listed my problems here earlier Oct 5, 2019

https://www.proz.com/forum/wordfast_support/337286-add_edit_note_problems_in_worldfast_pro_5_john_di_rico.html

Comunican
 
Comunican
Comunican
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:54
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Indeed not ideal, and why should it be necessary? Oct 6, 2019

Edward Potter wrote:

Sometimes I will edit the tables in the source document (saving it under a different name) then use the new saved document. If that doesn't work, I'll delete the tables before working with the document in Wordfast. After translating, I'll re-insert the tables to the cleaned document.

This is not ideal by any means, but it could give a little bit of comfort.


I agree, it is far from ideal and I don't see why it should be necessary as Wf Pro could/should relatively easily include this functionality...


 
Comunican
Comunican
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:54
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Whilst ignoring valid usability feedback... Oct 6, 2019

Whilst ignoring valid usability feedback that would make everyday use more efficient for all, Wf Pro have apparently prioritised developing changes that seem of limited to no use whatsoever - notably the new side bar and the new baseline Segment and Paragraph information (see screen grabs). Really, what is the point of these whilst they ignore basic usability issues...?

pointless work on Wf Pro 1

pointless work on Wf Pro 2


B D Finch
Gld8
 
Comunican
Comunican
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:54
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Another usability issue ignored: Preview Oct 17, 2019

When I "Preview" my translation in Wordfast Pro 5, the text is very small and hard to read and there is no option to resize it (stretching the Preview window leaves the previewed document at the same size and expands the translation window).
This is yet another obvious usability issue IMHO. And I reported it months ago using the seemingly pointless "Feedback" option.

[Edited at 2019-10-17 17:48 GMT]


 
Comunican
Comunican
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:54
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
WF Pro 5 - "Score" seems meaningless Oct 17, 2019

Yet another issue with Wordfast Pro 5.

The "Score" column is meaningless given that when it encounters a 100% match (as shown by the green-highlighted 100% in the "TM window"), the Score column simply shows as mauve... like that is supposed to mean something? Or maybe not?

Either way, what is the point of having the Score column and being unable to hide it to make room for more useful information...?

I am actively going to start looking for a better CAT to
... See more
Yet another issue with Wordfast Pro 5.

The "Score" column is meaningless given that when it encounters a 100% match (as shown by the green-highlighted 100% in the "TM window"), the Score column simply shows as mauve... like that is supposed to mean something? Or maybe not?

Either way, what is the point of having the Score column and being unable to hide it to make room for more useful information...?

I am actively going to start looking for a better CAT tool now (recommendations appreciated).
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James Muir
James Muir  Identity Verified
Taiwan
Local time: 04:54
Chinese to English
I sort of have to use it Nov 6, 2019

I don't mind it, sometimes... but oh wow, when I do!

My text skips about on the track-pad, or mouse when scrolling and just disappears or jumps like hundreds of squares at a time for no reason (literally, 100 to 900)

I still have no idea how to get rid of the hovering black "verify segment" box (which is huge and lingers forever)

Sometimes I try and take the time out of work to look up how to fix all these issues, but so far there are zillion guides which
... See more
I don't mind it, sometimes... but oh wow, when I do!

My text skips about on the track-pad, or mouse when scrolling and just disappears or jumps like hundreds of squares at a time for no reason (literally, 100 to 900)

I still have no idea how to get rid of the hovering black "verify segment" box (which is huge and lingers forever)

Sometimes I try and take the time out of work to look up how to fix all these issues, but so far there are zillion guides which tell me nothing useful that relate to my issues (thought they are happy to tell me I can press ALT down)

TM seems to work only when it feels like it

It freezes

Sometimes it won't close (like when I have gotten tired of waiting for it to do something when it has frozen) - a crash I suppose

I tried looking up how to skip to and find all the uncommitted segments - like when you are doing PR work and just want to skip through the list of unconfirmed segments - but I have searched online, looked through the settings and tried the filters and nothing seems to make it work very well for me - whereas with my other CAT tool I just go hit CTRL enter and it goes straight to the next unconfirmed segment. Is that too much to ask?

I mean, I will have to keep using it, as I bought it, and one of my agencies uses it, but wow! Why do CAT tools have such attitude about them? (which makes all my work just take longer... so I get hungrier for the same workload and more tired and sound way less nice when typing these things! LOL)
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Comunican
Comunican
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:54
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Another bit of feedback submitted to Wf Pro (FYI) Nov 24, 2019

FYI, here's some more feedback that I've sent Wf Pro via the program's Feedback function:

"Here's some more feedback and another suggestion for you to completely ignore, just as you have completely ignored all my other helpful and valuable suggestions to help make your product better.... (but I live in hope):

I would like the option to configure the Terminology window so that I can see any notes I have written for Glossary entries.

I would also like this fe
... See more
FYI, here's some more feedback that I've sent Wf Pro via the program's Feedback function:

"Here's some more feedback and another suggestion for you to completely ignore, just as you have completely ignored all my other helpful and valuable suggestions to help make your product better.... (but I live in hope):

I would like the option to configure the Terminology window so that I can see any notes I have written for Glossary entries.

I would also like this feedback window to be in larger font as it is ridiculously small for my less-than-perfect eyes.

Thanks"
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B D Finch
B D Finch  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 21:54
French to English
+ ...
Scores in WFP5 Nov 24, 2019

Comunican wrote:

Yet another issue with Wordfast Pro 5.

The "Score" column is meaningless given that when it encounters a 100% match (as shown by the green-highlighted 100% in the "TM window"), the Score column simply shows as mauve... like that is supposed to mean something? Or maybe not?

Either way, what is the point of having the Score column and being unable to hide it to make room for more useful information...?

I am actively going to start looking for a better CAT tool now (recommendations appreciated).


What's the point of having a score column when 100% matches show as 99% and don't automatically propogate? That's the problem that I've been getting.


 


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My log of Wordfast Pro usability issues (version 5.11.1)







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