On 2017-05-01 16:42:32, Richard Owlett <rowl...@cloud85.net> wrote:
> Please note the _*FIRST WORD*_ of the subject line <GRIN>
> [Did a preliminary web search. Results indicated I was clueless ;]
>
> Background:
> Last week I was asked to be one of the proofreaders of a near final
> draft of a ~1300 word document. IOW the structure and desired content
> were firmly established. Although fluent in English, it is not the
> author's primary language. He had prepared the English text I (and
> others) were reviewing.
>
> Desired specifications:
> 1. It shall have exactly 2 panes.
> 2. Pane 1 shall:
> a. have a verbatim copy of the original text.
> b. assign immutable tags (visible or not) to beginning AND
> end of each paragraph.
> c. be intrinsically READ-ONLY.
> That implies that both text and tags are immutable from
> invocation to invocation.
> 3. Pane 2 shall:
> a. on initial invocation be a byte for byte duplicate [*INCLUDING*
> tags] of the original.
> b. as Pane 2 is edited maintain visual sync of initial paragraph
> start and ultimate edited paragraph extent. [Is that vague ;]
>
> Am I even "asking right questions"?
>
> TIA as "owl" *DUCKS* fer cover
>
It almost sounds like you're describing a CAT (Computer Assisted
Translation) tool.
I've used OmegaT a few times before (it's GPL and F/OSS).
http://screenshots.debian.net/screenshots/000/008/319/large.png
http://www.omegat.org/en/omegat.html
While it doesn't have two, separate panes, what it does do is show
the original text in its main pane, and separates it by
paragraphs. Then, when one double-clicks on any paragraph, it
creates a duplicate paragraph that pops up below it. One can then
edit the new paragraph as one wishes before moving on to the next.
It *does* keep the original text read-only and saves your changes
into a separate file.
As a CAT tool, it also keeps track of any changes you've made, and
suggests them when the same (or similar) wording is encountered
again. This is done to help facilitate consistency in translation.
(E.g. If one were translating a fantasy novel, keeping track of
proper nouns can be difficult. Was it the "Forest of Illusion",
"Woods of Illusion", "Forest of Mirages" etc.)
Since your intended use of this is to proof-read and correct text
done by a non-native English speaker, I would expect them to make
a lot of similar errors in the language so a CAT tool may be
exactly what you're looking for.
Or, it may be far too complicated and overkill for your needs.
Either way, I'd recommend at least giving it a look. You won't
know unless you try.
--
Bryan
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