Re: [ELPA] New package proposal: org-translate

[Stefan Kangas <stefankangas@gmail.com>]

Hi Eric,

Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> writes:

> I've added version 0 of a package called org-translate to ELPA, and I'm
> proposing it for release. It's a translation environment based on Org.
> It's not quite a full-on CAT tool, but I suppose has the potential to
> get there. I'm posting the Commentary section from the library below.
> Comments/suggestions/complaints very welcome!

I am happy to hear a package like this is in the works, as I do and have
done a lot of translating in Emacs.

I realize this is just a first draft, but I'll just add my thoughts
from trying the package.

First, I think the Commentary should clearly explain how to set up your
org file and get started.  It explains it only abstractly, but
preferably should do so in concrete steps.

The minor mode documentation should include an overview of the key
bindings.  I would also appreciate an overview of the keybindings and
expected workflow in the Commentary section.

`ogt-start-translating' while in an org buffer should just start with
the current org buffer.  It works after setting up a bookmark, but I'm
not sure requiring the user to keep a bookmark is the best design
choice.  (Also, there is no completion for the bookmarks.)

So I set up the bookmark, and now it asks to segment the file.  Seems to
work fine, and I get markers in my file (but all the markers say ""
for some reason).  Now my file looks like:

    * Original

     In the early hours of 9 September

The first segment is from after the "l" in "Original" to before "In".
I guess that should rather be ignored.

If I remove the headline and run `ogt-forward-segment', I see the
following backtrace:

  goto-char(nil)
  (progn (select-window (car save-selected-window--state) 'norecord)
(goto-char ogt-probable-source-location) (re-search-forward (string
ogt-segmentation-character) nil t arg) (set-marker
ogt-probable-source-location (point)) (ogt-highlight-source-segment)
(recenter))
  (unwind-protect (progn (select-window (car
save-selected-window--state) 'norecord) (goto-char
ogt-probable-source-location) (re-search-forward (string
ogt-segmentation-character) nil t arg) (set-marker
ogt-probable-source-location (point)) (ogt-highlight-source-segment)
(recenter)) (internal--after-with-selected-window
save-selected-window--state))
  (save-current-buffer (unwind-protect (progn (select-window (car
save-selected-window--state) 'norecord) (goto-char
ogt-probable-source-location) (re-search-forward (string
ogt-segmentation-character) nil t arg) (set-marker
ogt-probable-source-location (point)) (ogt-highlight-source-segment)
(recenter)) (internal--after-with-selected-window
save-selected-window--state)))
  (let ((save-selected-window--state
(internal--before-with-selected-window ogt-source-window)))
(save-current-buffer (unwind-protect (progn (select-window (car
save-selected-window--state) 'norecord) (goto-char
ogt-probable-source-location) (re-search-forward (string
ogt-segmentation-character) nil t arg) (set-marker
ogt-probable-source-location (point)) (ogt-highlight-source-segment)
(recenter)) (internal--after-with-selected-window
save-selected-window--state))))
  (if (marker-position ogt-probable-source-location) (let
((save-selected-window--state (internal--before-with-selected-window
ogt-source-window))) (save-current-buffer (unwind-protect (progn
(select-window (car save-selected-window--state) 'norecord) (goto-char
ogt-probable-source-location) (re-search-forward (string
ogt-segmentation-character) nil t arg) (set-marker
ogt-probable-source-location (point)) (ogt-highlight-source-segment)
(recenter)) (internal--after-with-selected-window
save-selected-window--state)))) (ogt-update-source-location))
  ogt-forward-segment(1)
  funcall-interactively(ogt-forward-segment 1)
  command-execute(ogt-forward-segment)

Saving the file and opening it again, I now see " " in every location
where there previously were markers.  Running `ogt-start-translating'
doesn't give a backtrace, but the message: "org-back-to-heading: Before
first headline at position 121 in buffer trans.org"

So I re-add the "Original" headline and try again, seems to work now and
the characters above are again the markers "".  I'm not sure if I'm
supposed to type the text directly in place?  I would rather have the
translation text in a separate window, fixed in place and highlighted,
and I'd like to see only the segment I'm currently translating with the
rest of the text highlighted.  More like OmegaT or a proper CAT
software.

That's basically as far as I got for now.

Thanks again for working on this.

Best regards,
Stefan Kangas