Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

Here's the difficulty:
When I do a translation of a large document, such as a Libram Magica or a Basic Field, which contains a lot of elements that are arranged alphabetically I have to redo the alphabetical sorting since I change the names/titles. For example the explanations of spells (name+characteristics+function of the spell) or monsters (name+table+ecology of the monster).

I would like to know if anyone knows the method to redo an alphabetical sort automatically with libreoffice. I know how to do it manually using the browser and title styles, but it's very long and boring. And besides, it's easy to make a mistake. But it works very well. The same thing in automatic would be great.
For now, in automatic it's a mess, it separates the different style levels, it mixes a lot of things. Or even when the integrated tables prevent sorting. Basically, it doesn't work.

I know how to do it with MSword using title styles and mode plan, it takes me 5 seconds... but I wish I could do an equivalent with libreoffice because going back and forth from one program to another causes other problems (especially with images, tables, and other little things).

As there are a lot of powerful libreoffice users here, if someone had a solution, I would be grateful because with the latest additions, I plan to make some translations.

Ack. I don't know, honestly, if that's even possible in LibreOffice. It's literally never come up before.

As this thread has no game content, I'm moving it to General Discussion. Hopefully someone knows how to do what you are attempting.

By the way... you are working on translations? Why didn't I know about that? And when are you planning to start submitting work? We like translators to keep us up-to-date with works in progress, so if a translator disappears (it happens) someone else can take over. It's happened repeatedly, which is why the Italian translation will soon be in print... and it's why we don't have a Swedish translation, because I never thought about vanishing translators before it happened the first time.

As you mentioned, you can use the navigator in LibreOffice and promote each heading entry (chapter) to where you need it to be. However, there is no built-in function to automatically sort chapters, but LibreOffice can be extended via scripting languages. Maybe some developers want to get together to write an extension. It would be useful - I remember manually sorting all the spells, monsters and items for the German translation...

Solomoriah wrote: ↑Thu Sep 03, 2020 9:08 pm By the way... you are working on translations? Why didn't I know about that? And when are you planning to start submitting work? We like translators to keep us up-to-date with works in progress, so if a translator disappears (it happens) someone else can take over.

I don't have a new translation in progress, that's why I don't have anything specific to announce .

But the modifications made by daryen and others are numerous and interesting and they concern a certain number of documents already translated by me, so I am considering the possibility of translating again the documents that are concerned by these modifications, but for the moment nothing has been started.

In the meantime, I am considering the supplements : Druid, Spellcrafter, Necromancer, Illusionist, Blood Sorcerer and News Spells... normally these short supplements shouldn't take too long to update (a few days each, or even less depending on the changes... thanks to libreoffice for the comparison tool ). Maybe a little more for the Blood Sorcerer which is totally new.

For the moment, I'm waiting for the english versions to be studied from every angle to make sure they are "stabilized".

For the Libram... well already, I'm waiting for the eventual new version. But as it's a big document, with a lot of modifications (even if normally I do the supplements before, it will be more copy/paste than pure translation), I'm trying to anticipate how I'm going to organize myself if I launch into the adventure. But it's a document that interests me a lot... so....

I also confess that I often look at Basic Field 2 with a tender eye... but this is a big big job, especially since it is still evolving a lot. And the concern of the alphabetical order is a big pitfall , manually it's really very long and boring.

If I ever start something, I'll announce it on the forum thread where I compile all my translations... if you want me to talk about it elsewhere for more readability, you tell me where and I'll do it. Even if it is possible that if I go ahead, the short documents will be translated and then I'll make the announcement

The fact is that an update translation is quite different from an entirely new document, I still look for the right organization before I start anything. If I start something

but if ever a Frenchman or other wishes to update the translations I mention (or any translation made by me), he has my full blessing to take anything that interests him.

lars_alexander wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:00 am It would be useful - I remember manually sorting all the spells, monsters and items for the German translation...

all translators have to cry together when it's time to put things in order.

gg2 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:02 amBut the modifications made by daryen and others are numerous and interesting and they concern a certain number of documents already translated by me, so I am considering the possibility of translating again the documents that are concerned by these modifications, but for the moment nothing has been started.

I'm going to ask again... when are you going to share these? Even older versions of documents that have been translated may be of use to others, and I would absolutely put them on the Downloads page if the original English document is already there.

It seem everything its on the Showcase

yes, the old translations are on the Showcase. I haven't touched them since I put them there over a year ago.

If the original file is on the Download page, its translation would be there instead of the showcase

As I understand it, the documents in the download section have been tested, proofread, polished.
Concerning my translations, given the quantity, I waited for feedback from french readers to proofread, polish and correct the errors that are certainly there... and I didn't get any. Really none. Except a nice message from elwing who translated the Core Book.

So, even though I have done my best to make them as correct and complete as possible, and that they are usable as is despite the probable errors, I find it very difficult to consider that these documents deserve to be in the download section, even if the originals are there. The Showcase seems to me to be perfectly adapted to their current quality (from the translation point of view not their formal content).
Finished but not polished