| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Has Wordfast Pro been abandoned by its developer?—from the perspective of a macOS user Thread poster: Jeff Chapman
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Jeff Chapman 
Japan
Local time: 03:31
Japanese to English
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I've used Wordfast Pro for several years now. The advantages of this CAT tool are clear, for users who need cross-platform compatibility.
IMHO, Wordfast Pro is probably about the best thing going that runs on macOS without virtualization.
That said, am I the only one who feels that in terms of usability, accessibility and productivity, Wordfast development is moving at a glacial pace, if at all?
Over the years, I've sent dozens and dozens of suggestions an... See more I've used Wordfast Pro for several years now. The advantages of this CAT tool are clear, for users who need cross-platform compatibility.
IMHO, Wordfast Pro is probably about the best thing going that runs on macOS without virtualization.
That said, am I the only one who feels that in terms of usability, accessibility and productivity, Wordfast development is moving at a glacial pace, if at all?
Over the years, I've sent dozens and dozens of suggestions and requests for enhancements to functionality of the app (in particular, user interface-related issues) to the developer through their contact form within the Wordfast app. A few things were implemented. Most seem to have been completely ignored. Wordfast support does not even send replies in acknowledgment like they used to; and even if they do reply, it takes several days or more.
Some of the requests I've made from more than three years ago that seem to have gone completely unheard:
- Show locked segments in a different color—add a color option for locked segments to WF prefs
- Select multiple terms in the Glossary list for deletion
- Edit TMs without having to create a new project
- Disclose the character counting rules used for Japanese
- Improve auto-suggestion for inputting terms when cursor is placed before other characters
- Expand the ribbon items automatically when the ribbon menus are clicked
- Provide actual menus and commands relevant to the app in the macOS menubar
- Access the standard macOS symbol and character picker when editing a segment
- Do not automatically change the case of terms inputted via auto-suggest
- Skip URLs during spellcheck
- Include notes as Word comments for DOCX files, without the need to output a separate report
- Offer the app as an actual native macOS app, not a packaged app that needs to run through middleware like Java
I'm not so naïve to believe that the developer MUST implement everything that users request. I know they have their priorities.
Also, I won't go so far as to say that the app has been completely abandoned by the developer. Based on their update page (https://www.wordfast.com/support_release_notes), they are releasing some kind of fixes and updates every one to four months. (In comparison, active CAT developers like Memsource release biweekly fixes and upgrades that are meaningful to most users.)
What I am saying is that it seems to me that Wordfast is strapped for cash, strapped for resources, and devoid of real interest in bringing the usability of this product up to a modern, competitive level that can seriously compete with the other CAT tools. It seems like Wordfast Pro is stuck in a user interface paradigm from over ten years ago. WF5 came with what seemed like a major UI upgrade, but again the disparities between native macOS apps and WF are glaringly evident. Some of it, you get used to. Other things are just plain... inconvenient.
The great thing about WF Pro (for me) is that it doesn't require access to the "cloud." No Internet access required—it works like a "traditional" CAT tool. It works on the Mac (and on Linux as well, apparently). While Trados seems to be shifting to more of a cloud-based platform and Memsource is way ahead of everyone in terms of cloud-based translation performance and usability, I think there is still a real market position for Wordfast as a standalone CAT.
The problem is that the app just isn't getting the attention it needs to thrive in today's evolving world of translation.
I still plan to keep using Wordfast Pro for some time, until a better alternative arrives for macOS that outstrips WF in terms of capabilities and usability. I just wish that Wordfast would give this app more love in terms of basic usability. One update every 1–4 months is simply not enough. Support used to be so much better, until one of their lead support staff members left the company three years ago (I won't name names).
I know these are tough times, and the translation industry is an ever-evolving one that poses a lot of challenges for CAT developers, but I'm just wondering if I'm the only one who finds this situation unfortunate... and sad. If there were other more viable options for the Mac, I'd jump at them... but there aren't, and there seem to be few developers who want to create a viable, easy-to-use standalone CAT tool for the Mac that can get the job done.
I've already spent a great deal of time ranting at Wordfast, so this is about the only place I have left to whine and gripe about something that I have absolutely no control over.
[Edited at 2021-10-09 02:56 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Is the ribbon a crucial feature to you?
| | | | Jeff Chapman
Japan
Local time: 03:31
Japanese to English
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TOPIC STARTER
WF thinks it's important. Apparently many users think it's convenient.
I find it to be somewhat useful, but I'd prefer to see the functionality also available from the macOS menubar, just like nearly every other macOS productivity app out there.
The "ribbon" design concept is hardly a new thing, and WF simply jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else, like Trados Studio did many years ago.
My complaint about the ribbon is that it needs to auto-ex... See more WF thinks it's important. Apparently many users think it's convenient.
I find it to be somewhat useful, but I'd prefer to see the functionality also available from the macOS menubar, just like nearly every other macOS productivity app out there.
The "ribbon" design concept is hardly a new thing, and WF simply jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else, like Trados Studio did many years ago.
My complaint about the ribbon is that it needs to auto-expand when you click on a menu item in the ribbon while the ribbon is collapsed. The WF devs do not seem to have not really thought much about the ribbon's usability from this perspective—it's stayed the same for years now. I've complained—they haven't listened. (Even if they have listened, they do not consider it to be a priority, and have left it on the back-burner for over three years.) If they're going to properly implement the ribbon, they need to take a hint from Microsoft Office, where you've got some different ribbon display and auto-hide options (at least in the Windows version of Office).
Translators like myself use these apps every day. When developers just focus on benefits to fringe users and overlook the key pain points in the UI, it does the whole community a disservice.
That's my two yen/cents, anyway. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:31
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Better option | Oct 10, 2021 |
Jeff Chapman wrote:
IMHO, Wordfast Pro is probably about the best thing going that runs on macOS without virtualization. .........I still plan to keep using Wordfast Pro for some time, until a better alternative arrives for macOS that outstrips WF in terms of capabilities and usability........
Try Cafetran. You'll be delighted.
[Edited at 2021-10-10 13:36 GMT]
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Jeff Chapman
Japan
Local time: 03:31
Japanese to English
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TOPIC STARTER | This is not a CafeTran thread | Oct 10, 2021 |
Please stay on topic. We're talking about the issues with Wordfast.
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Jeff Chapman wrote:
Please stay on topic. We're talking about the issues with Wordfast.
So what exactly do you mean by:
I still plan to keep using Wordfast Pro for some time, until a better alternative arrives for macOS that outstrips WF in terms of capabilities and usability.
Did you already have a good look at the competition? I think that Tom’s suggestion is on topic.
| | | | Jeff Chapman
Japan
Local time: 03:31
Japanese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | The competition... | Oct 11, 2021 |
So what exactly do you mean by:
I still plan to keep using Wordfast Pro for some time, until a better alternative arrives for macOS that outstrips WF in terms of capabilities and usability.
Did you already have a good look at the competition? I think that Tom’s suggestion is on topic. [/quote]
... See moreSo what exactly do you mean by:
I still plan to keep using Wordfast Pro for some time, until a better alternative arrives for macOS that outstrips WF in terms of capabilities and usability.
Did you already have a good look at the competition? I think that Tom’s suggestion is on topic. [/quote]
For the record, I have downloaded and experimented with CafeTran. Just like Wordfast, the application runs as a Java package. It's not a native macOS app—it's running via middleware. If you'd kindly read my original post, you'll see that Wordfast not being a native app is one of my biggest beefs. It may be convenient for the developers to maintain a single Java package and then roll it out to the other OS platforms, but it doesn't offer the user a seamless experience on each OS, one that takes advantage of the strengths of that OS. Wordfast's failings on macOS stem from the fact that it doesn't support many of the best features that macOS offers, because it runs under Java. From what I've seen of CafeTran, it suffers in the same way. I use Wordfast in spite of the fact that it runs as a Java app, but the app would be much better if it ran as a native macOS app. (To add to this, CafeTran just looks ugly IMHO.)
While we can "throw the baby out with the bathwater" and just talk about another switching to a totally different app, that wasn't the intent of my initial post. The point of my initial post was to talk about Wordfast, its direction and shortcomings. Derailment (or in less kind words, "thread hijacking") happens a lot on Internet discussions. People raise specific criticisms or issues with a product, and then someone suddenly comes out of the blue and suggests that the OP just abandon the product altogether. It's a simplistic argument. It's not that I hate Wordfast. I want to see it improved. What I want to gauge is whether WF is actually nimble enough as a company to make these changes happen. If the developers are not going to be responsive enough and don't see the issues, that's when a change in CAT platforms is warranted.
By the way, I'm already using Trados Studio (Windows, under Parallels Desktop for Mac) and Memsource (cross-platform). I know of no standalone CAT tools that run natively on macOS—they all either run via middleware and are packaged to "look like" Mac apps (but without much of the proper OS integration), or they must run under a virtualized Windows environment. The Memsource Desktop Editor is the only app that runs decently on macOS, almost like a native app, but unfortunately it's not quite a standalone tool—it requires heavy dependence on cloud-based resources.
I've already invested enough in Wordfast over the years, and I'd prefer to see it enhanced and improved in general, and for the macOS platform in specific. If someone can tell me that CafeTran addresses all the shortcomings that I mentioned about Wordfast, it would be worth looking into. Unfortunately, my initial impression is that it has a user interface that's even more antiquated than Wordfast, while still suffering from the same failings in terms of true OS compatibility as any other Java app would. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Heinrich Pesch
Finland
Local time: 21:31
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
| Who pays the effort? | Oct 11, 2021 |
The market for computer aided translation is rather small, and it seems some very honored brands are not able to keep the software up to date because the user base is too small. DejaVue, Transit, Metataxis ...
On Windows I still keep a copy of WFPro, but haven't used it for years, and WFC does not run with my Office 365, or I couldn't get it work anymore.
That's how the world works, old stuff dies and the competition thrives, or stays alive.
Nobody will develop serious transl... See more The market for computer aided translation is rather small, and it seems some very honored brands are not able to keep the software up to date because the user base is too small. DejaVue, Transit, Metataxis ...
On Windows I still keep a copy of WFPro, but haven't used it for years, and WFC does not run with my Office 365, or I couldn't get it work anymore.
That's how the world works, old stuff dies and the competition thrives, or stays alive.
Nobody will develop serious translation software for the mac or Linux alone, i'm afraid. Java is the best alternative.
Who knows what the main developer of Wf is doing now? He might be retired or on work that is paid for. ▲ Collapse
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| No hijacking meant | Oct 11, 2021 |
Jeff Chapman wrote:
It may be convenient for the developers to maintain a single Java package and then roll it out to the other OS platforms, but it doesn't offer the user a seamless experience on each OS, one that takes advantage of the strengths of that OS.
Could you please elaborate on what exactly you are missing?
(To add to this, CafeTran just looks ugly IMHO.)
I understand what you mean. But I must add that, after changing some settings, CafeTran Espresso looks a lot better on Mac.
If someone can tell me that CafeTran addresses all the shortcomings that I mentioned about Wordfast, it would be worth looking into.
I'll address that in the appropriate forum.
Unfortunately, my initial impression is that it has a user interface that's even more antiquated than Wordfast, while still suffering from the same failings in terms of true OS compatibility as any other Java app would.
Like I said, you can make CafeTran Espresso look like a Mac app. It doesn't offer a ribbon, however.
(While 'antiquated' is a subjective term, 'flexible' probably isn't. And CafeTran Espresso's GUI is extremely flexible.)
Please tell me more about the missing macOS compatibility.
| | | | Jeff Chapman
Japan
Local time: 03:31
Japanese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Good questions... | Oct 11, 2021 |
German Dutch Engineering Translation wrote:
Could you please elaborate on what exactly you are missing?
Access to the commands of Wordfast via the menubar would be quite helpful, rather than switching around with the ribbon. Even Microsoft Office apps on the Mac allow menubar access to the commands, in addition to the ribbon. This also opens up the possibility of assigning keyboard shortcuts via macOS System Preferences, which is a centralized place to access and manage keyboard shortcuts, and ideally should remove the need for Wordfast or any other app to have its own keyboard shortcut management preferences.
Incidentally, I believe this would also be a big help for users who have accessibility-related issues.
Also, access to the macOS symbol picker would be quite helpful. Wordfast does not allow this very useful feature, quite possibly because Java does not allow access (but I could be wrong—it might just be Wordfast's oversight).
The ability to detach, resize and relocate the terminology and TM panes in the same way as you can do with other macOS windows would be stellar. Currently, Wordfast only allows you to divide up the panes within a single window. This is bad for users who want to take advantage of multiple displays.
The ability to use macOS's built-in autocorrect feature would be helpful. Wordfast currently uses the same approach as Microsoft Word in this regard, which is often less than useful.
From a UI perspective, these are the things I would enhance or improve for Wordfast on macOS, things which would be possible if the developers designed a native macOS app. (Perhaps even the current Java implementation might allow these things as well, but I don't see Wordfast addressing them.)
I understand what you mean. But I must add that, after changing some settings, CafeTran Espresso looks a lot better on Mac.
I'll look into that. Thanks.
Of course, we haven't even delved into the performance improvements that WF would enjoy if they had made it a native macOS app. I can't imagine that Java offers the same speed. Wordfast takes long enough to load as-is.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 20:31
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Jeff Chapman wrote:
That said, am I the only one who feels that in terms of usability, accessibility and productivity, Wordfast development is moving at a glacial pace, if at all?
WFP development has always been very slow, and most of the development is "under the hood", i.e. they don't focus on introducing new features but rather on improving existing ones.
| | | | Jeff Chapman
Japan
Local time: 03:31
Japanese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | The market for CAT on macOS may be larger than we think... | Oct 11, 2021 |
Heinrich Pesch wrote:
The market for computer aided translation is rather small, and it seems some very honored brands are not able to keep the software up to date because the user base is too small. DejaVue, Transit, Metataxis ...
On Windows I still keep a copy of WFPro, but haven't used it for years, and WFC does not run with my Office 365, or I couldn't get it work anymore.
That's how the world works, old stuff dies and the competition thrives, or stays alive.
Nobody will develop serious translation software for the mac or Linux alone, i'm afraid. Java is the best alternative.
Who knows what the main developer of Wf is doing now? He might be retired or on work that is paid for.
I think it actually works the other way. There is no "market" because there is no product. Existing Windows users who might enjoy a powerful CAT running on macOS can only dream about it, because no developers are really serious about creating a viable product that runs natively on macOS. Without a product, the "market" of course does not exist, as everyone has to stick with Windows or virtualized solutions.
It can't be easy to develop a CAT for any OS platform, indeed.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:31
Member (2008)
Italian to English
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
Just saying.
| | | | John Di Rico
France
Local time: 20:31
Member (2006)
French to English
| Remarks on feedback and future developments | Oct 11, 2021 |
Thanks for your feedback, Jeff. Please allow me to address some of your concerns as I monitor Wordfast Pro roadmap with a keen interest, both as a user and advocate for other users.
Jeff Chapman wrote:
I've used Wordfast Pro for several years now. The advantages of this CAT tool are clear, for users who need cross-platform compatibility.
IMHO, Wordfast Pro is probably about the best thing going that runs on macOS without virtualization.
I agree!
That said, am I the only one who feels that in terms of usability, accessibility and productivity, Wordfast development is moving at a glacial pace, if at all?
Over the years, I've sent dozens and dozens of suggestions and requests for enhancements to functionality of the app (in particular, user interface-related issues) to the developer through their contact form within the Wordfast app. A few things were implemented. Most seem to have been completely ignored. Wordfast support does not even send replies in acknowledgment like they used to; and even if they do reply, it takes several days or more.
I hear you and admit that I sometimes feel the same frustration. I have submitted more than 150 tickets since 2014. Many of them were implemented and several have not been, a few of which I am glad were not implemented (because there was a better way of doing what I wanted). I am surprised that you have not gotten a response to your feedback tickets as I see that André is replying to everyone via email. Unfortunately, some people make a mistake in their email when submitting a ticket, some people never reply to him (and the ticket is closed), and some of his emails may get caught up in spam filters.
Some of the requests I've made from more than three years ago that seem to have gone completely unheard:
- Show locked segments in a different color—add a color option for locked segments to WF prefs
Interesting improvement.
Select multiple terms in the Glossary list for deletion
Glossary and TM editor improvements are long overdue. This is a major pain point for several users, myself included.
Edit TMs without having to create a new project
Nice feature, but easy to work around by creating a project called, for example, "TM Editing FR-EN", then add all TMs to it in that language pair.
- Disclose the character counting rules used for Japanese
Unknowledgeable on the topic.
- Improve auto-suggestion for inputting terms when cursor is placed before other characters
I can see from personal experience how this can be useful. I don't know if it is technically feasible.
- Expand the ribbon items automatically when the ribbon menus are clicked
This is a no-brainer and needs to be done; however, I think a lot of users never condense the ribbon. In the meantime, I suggest changing the icon settings to not display text and use large/medium icons. This will save 1 cm on a smaller screen.
- Provide actual menus and commands relevant to the app in the macOS menubar
Definitely a nice thing to have, but where would you place this in terms of priority? For me, glossary and TM editor improvements are more urgent, as are several of your other points.
- Access the standard macOS symbol and character picker when editing a segment
This is a big problem, I thought it was fixed already. I just looked at the ticket and see that it was working with 5.19 and an older OS. I tried reassigning the shortcut but that does not work. I added a comment to the ticket.
- Do not automatically change the case of terms inputted via auto-suggest
Not sure what you mean. Wordfast Pro does not change the case of terms. Do you want it to? There was a nifty solution for this in Wordfast Classic which involved adding an option to each term to never change its case (good for proper nouns in certain languages) and then a setting in preferences to try to copy the source term case. This worked well for my language pair (FR-EN). A translator translating into or from German would have to enable a different setting (always keep case as entered into the glossary).
- Skip URLs during spellcheck
Yes, this improvement needs to be implemented. A major pain for files with lots of URLs. I just checked on the ticket; I submitted it in June 2014. Long overdue.
- Include notes as Word comments for DOCX files, without the need to output a separate report
A nice feature, I submitted this feature request in August 2015 and we've had 3 requests for it ever since.
-Offer the app as an actual native macOS app, not a packaged app that needs to run through middleware like Java
I don't think this will happen. The advantage of using Java is to be able to make a version for PC, Mac, Linux, and a browser. Switching to a native format would require too many resources. However, I'm not an expert and am not sure what this would entail in terms of release cycles and QA.
I'm not so naïve to believe that the developer MUST implement everything that users request. I know they have their priorities. Also, I won't go so far as to say that the app has been completely abandoned by the developer. Based on their update page ( https://www.wordfast.com/support_release_notes), they are releasing some kind of fixes and updates every one to four months. (In comparison, active CAT developers like Memsource release biweekly fixes and upgrades that are meaningful to most users.)
Releases for web-based tools are much easier because they can be rolled back very easily. With desktop tools, it is much more complicated. To create a release candidate, nearly 10,000 manual QA tests need to be done. This requires 2-3 people working full time for 2 or 3 weeks. Basically, every time a bug is fixed, a test case is created and needs to be performed to make sure the bug never appears again in future builds. The release candidate is then sent out to beta testers for a week or two before being approved for final release.
What I am saying is that it seems to me that Wordfast is strapped for cash, strapped for resources, and devoid of real interest in bringing the usability of this product up to a modern, competitive level that can seriously compete with the other CAT tools. It seems like Wordfast Pro is stuck in a user interface paradigm from over ten years ago. WF5 came with what seemed like a major UI upgrade, but again the disparities between native macOS apps and WF are glaringly evident. Some of it, you get used to. Other things are just plain... inconvenient.
For the past several months, we have been working on UI accessibility issues. This does not affect most users, but is essential for visually impaired users. A new number conversion feature has also been implemented in 6.5. It is "hidden" by default, while it is being tested by beta users.
The great thing about WF Pro (for me) is that it doesn't require access to the "cloud." No Internet access required—it works like a "traditional" CAT tool. It works on the Mac (and on Linux as well, apparently). While Trados seems to be shifting to more of a cloud-based platform and Memsource is way ahead of everyone in terms of cloud-based translation performance and usability, I think there is still a real market position for Wordfast as a standalone CAT.
The problem is that the app just isn't getting the attention it needs to thrive in today's evolving world of translation.
I still plan to keep using Wordfast Pro for some time, until a better alternative arrives for macOS that outstrips WF in terms of capabilities and usability. I just wish that Wordfast would give this app more love in terms of basic usability. One update every 1–4 months is simply not enough. Support used to be so much better, until one of their lead support staff members left the company three years ago (I won't name names).
I know these are tough times, and the translation industry is an ever-evolving one that poses a lot of challenges for CAT developers, but I'm just wondering if I'm the only one who finds this situation unfortunate... and sad. If there were other more viable options for the Mac, I'd jump at them... but there aren't, and there seem to be few developers who want to create a viable, easy-to-use standalone CAT tool for the Mac that can get the job done.
I've already spent a great deal of time ranting at Wordfast, so this is about the only place I have left to whine and gripe about something that I have absolutely no control over.
[Edited at 2021-10-09 02:56 GMT]
Rest assured that we are continuing to develop Wordfast. As you can see from my comments above, it is not an easy process as there are many stakeholders involved and each has their own problems and needs. Prioritizing requests is difficult in this context and requires patience. I know that you have submitted a lot of feedback, Jeff, and thank you for it.
| | | | Jeff Chapman
Japan
Local time: 03:31
Japanese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Appreciated! | Oct 11, 2021 |
John Di Rico wrote:
Thanks for your feedback, Jeff. Please allow me to address some of your concerns as I monitor Wordfast Pro roadmap with a keen interest, both as a user and advocate for other users.
Thanks so much for your feedback and replies, John.
Glossary and TM editor improvements are long overdue. This is a major pain point for several users, myself included.
Yes... so, the big question is, when can we expect improvements?
Nice feature, but easy to work around by creating a project called, for example, "TM Editing FR-EN", then add all TMs to it in that language pair.
That is the workaround I've been using for three years now. I thought that "Quick Tools" would be a help here, but that ended up being something else.
- Improve auto-suggestion for inputting terms when cursor is placed before other characters
>I can see from personal experience how this can be useful. I don't know if it is technically feasible.
It is technically feasible on Trados Studio and in Memsource. Wordfast has always been the runt of the litter with this one. If you spend some time on those platforms and then come back to Wordfast, you'll see what I mean.
- Expand the ribbon items automatically when the ribbon menus are clicked
>This is a no-brainer and needs to be done; however, I think a lot of users never condense the ribbon. In the meantime, I suggest changing the icon settings to not display text and use large/medium icons. This will save 1 cm on a smaller screen.
Yes, that's the only solution we have now. It's little UI things that the devs need to address. It doesn't require a lot of thinking. The fact that little but bothersome things like this literally take years to address only saps user confidence in the app. We translators have to live with these things every day.
- Provide actual menus and commands relevant to the app in the macOS menubar
>Definitely a nice thing to have, but where would you place this in terms of priority? For me, glossary and TM editor improvements are more urgent, as are several of your other points.
Agreed.
- Do not automatically change the case of terms inputted via auto-suggest
Not sure what you mean. Wordfast Pro does not change the case of terms. Do you want it to? There was a nifty solution for this in Wordfast Classic which involved adding an option to each term to never change its case (good for proper nouns in certain languages) and then a setting in preferences to try to copy the source term case. This worked well for my language pair (FR-EN). A translator translating into or from German would have to enable a different setting (always keep case as entered into the glossary).
You and I had an e-mail discussion about this at least a couple of years ago. You said the very same thing. Again, please spend some time on Trados Studio, Memsource and other competing platforms. You'll see how WF is different, and what needs work. Wordfast always auto-suggests terms in the case with which they were registered in the glossary, regardless of context. I've argued back then and I'm saying the same thing now, that this behavior is problematic and presumptuous, at least for English. If you're in the middle of typing a sentence and type the first few letters to insert a term from the glossary, WF should not capitalize it just because it's capitalized in the glossary. For European languages that rely much more on capitalization, I can understand the restrictions. Just not for English.
To add to this, the inability to type a term via auto-suggest regardless of context in WF is basically a PITA, and has been for years now. WF is way too restrictive with its auto-suggest compared to other CAT platforms.
- Skip URLs during spellcheck
> Yes, this improvement needs to be implemented. A major pain for files with lots of URLs. I just checked on the ticket; I submitted it in June 2014. Long overdue.
...and hence my point. Seven years later, and no change to this.
I know it's not easy to develop a product like this for all of the different users out there. I know I'm just one user. I know that my needs do not always reflect universal needs. For stuff like omitting URLs from spellchecks, however... this is just... well, a huge duh. Especially in this day and age. I almost never work with HTML files, but I imagine that users who do work with files that contain copius hyperlinks have just given up on using WF's spellcheck feature for this reason.
- Include notes as Word comments for DOCX files, without the need to output a separate report
> A nice feature, I submitted this feature request in August 2015 and we've had 3 requests for it ever since.
Six years later... gulp.
-Offer the app as an actual native macOS app, not a packaged app that needs to run through middleware like Java
> I don't think this will happen. The advantage of using Java is to be able to make a version for PC, Mac, Linux, and a browser. Switching to a native format would require too many resources. However, I'm not an expert and am not sure what this would entail in terms of release cycles and QA.
Oh, I don't expect it will happen either. Only a company that's totally devoted to the Mac platform would dare take on such a challenge. It's a business risk. As I've implied elsewhere in this thread, though, there is no "market" for such an native app because, well, no one has knuckled down and made one.
Releases for web-based tools are much easier because they can be rolled back very easily. With desktop tools, it is much more complicated. To create a release candidate, nearly 10,000 manual QA tests need to be done. This requires 2-3 people working full time for 2 or 3 weeks. Basically, every time a bug is fixed, a test case is created and needs to be performed to make sure the bug never appears again in future builds. The release candidate is then sent out to beta testers for a week or two before being approved for final release.
I can appreciate the time involved. I have little frame for reference, so I can't say whether that's the norm or not. I do understand what you're saying about how easy it for Web-based software to be rolled back, though. Wordfast is on no less than three OS platforms (Windows, macOS and Linux, correct?), so the QA time required must be pretty serious.
For the past several months, we have been working on UI accessibility issues. This does not affect most users, but is essential for visually impaired users. A new number conversion feature has also been implemented in 6.5. It is "hidden" by default, while it is being tested by beta users.
This is good to hear.
Rest assured that we are continuing to develop Wordfast. As you can see from my comments above, it is not an easy process as there are many stakeholders involved and each has their own problems and needs. Prioritizing requests is difficult in this context and requires patience. I know that you have submitted a lot of feedback, Jeff, and thank you for it.
I suppose that I'm being ungrateful for complaining, and really I am thankful for what WF can already do. The reason why I complain is precisely because I believe it's (a) a decent tool, AND (b) could be even better. Without Wordfast, I would be depending a lot more of Trados Studio and Windows and virtualization. I can work in Windows and have done so for the first two decades of my career, but since going freelance in 2012, I stay in macOS whenever possible, and launch Trados in Windows via Parallels Desktop only when needed. That's why it's important that Wordfast stays on its game, at least for me.
Thanks again for your replies, John. Perhaps we will get a chance to meet in person in the not-too-distant future once the pandemic has abated, or perhaps online in a future seminar or workshop.
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