A translation memory (TM) is a database of previously translated text and is a key component of translation tools.
TMS
Texts are split into smaller segments (usually sentences or titles) during segmentation. The original segment and its translation are then saved into the translation memory as a translation unit when that segment is confirmed by a user in an editor.
Segments that are automatically confirmed based on pre-translation settings are not saved as they are already in the selected TM but context is added to the existing TM.
If a TM is created and added to an existing project, confirmed segments from that project will be added to the new TM.
A TM can have several target languages but only one source language and can be used in multiple projects simultaneously.
Strings
The translation memory (TM) is a database of previously translated text used in the projects and suggests matching results while translating content, based on the default language of a project. This speeds up the translation process and improves consistency across texts and projects.
The TM is an organization-wide translation tool which can be assigned to different projects. Otherwise, if none of the projects share a translation memory, each project will rely on its own local translation memory.
Updating the translation memory is not necessary, as it is refreshed automatically with every new translation.
The main benefits to using a TM:
A TM allows for the reuse of translations. This speeds up the translation process and reduces costs.
A TM helps to ensure translation consistency. This is important when a client has more than one translator working on a project
A TM serves as a long-term backup when the project or job is no longer available. With TMS, it is strongly recommended that linguists confirm each segment they have put any effort into before moving on to another segment to ensure the effort is not lost.
While the use of translation memories is highly recommended, there are some limitations:
While there are no specific limits to how many target languages a TM can have or how many translation units can be saved in a TM, very large TMs (millions of segments) slow down the performance of searches, pre-translation or analysis and can be difficult to maintain and edit.
A project can have multiple TMs, so it is always better to have a few smaller, well managed TMs than one very large one.
A maximum of 10 translation memories can be assigned to any project/language pair per each workflow step.