To create a new, empty translation memory (TM) in Wordfast Classic, follow these instructions:
- Open Microsoft Word.
- If the Classic toolbar shows just one icon, click the icon to expand the toolbar.
- Click the Wordfast icon (usually the right-most one on the toolbar) to open the Classic window.
- The window usually opens on the Translation Memory > TM tab. If it does not, access the tab.
- Click the Create new TM button (labelled New TM in older versions).
- Confirm the info dialogue about language codes.
- Enter the source language code (the language you will translate from).
- Confirm the info dialogue about language codes if it shows again.
- Enter the target language code (the language you will translate to).
- Classic will create an empty TM file, which contains only the TM header.
- Once prompted, name and save the document as a text file (*.txt) [See Note 1 below].
- Close the Classic window. Click OK when Classic asks if you want to save your settings.
When a TM is created, Classic will automatically save your translations (as translation units) into the TM as you translate using Classic. The TM remains active in Classic until you change the setting.
If you are not sure how many TMs you should create, see the article about translation memory management.
1: Classic usually suggests WfMemory as the default file name. You can keep the default name or change it. It is recommended to change the name and use something like WfMemory_EN-FR_ABC where EN-FR is the language combination and ABC is the name of the client or the subject field.