Two of my favourite Word macros are counting words inserted with track changes and extracting those words to translate them in SDL Trados Studio (or other CAT tool). I mentioned the first macro in a blog post seven years ago when Studio introduced a new feature to show track changes in source segments. The subject cropped up again on Twitter last week and I promised to share the macros in a new blog post.

__________________________________________

Macros 101

What is a macro? It’s a sequence of actions bundled into a single command or mouse click to avoid repetitive, time-consuming tasks (like counting inserted words).

How do you install a macro? Read this old but fail-safe post on the Word MVP (Most Valuable Professional) website.

How do you run a macro? In an open Word document, click Alt+F8, select the macro and click Run. If you use a macro often, assign a shortcut or add a button to the ribbon.

_________________________________________

Macro 1: Count words inserted with track changes in Word

The macro below returns a fast and reliable result in a pop-up window. I found it in a PC Review forum posted halfway down the page by Jay Freedman, a Word MVP.

Click the image to download the macro in .docx format

The macro will count all new inserted words, but it ignores any deleted text or other changes.

Macro 2: Extract track changes into a new Word document

I use this macro to translate big chunks of inserted text. The macro creates a table in a new document, I remove the deleted words in red and then translate the new text in Studio, taking advantage of the clean interface and my translation memory.

Here’s the link to the original macro, created by DocTools.

A final word about macros and security: macros downloaded from the internet may contain malicious code. Only install third-party macros that have been recommended to you by someone you trust.