TransProCalc

TransProCalc

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TransProCalc is a cross-platform tool for managing documents, assignments, and financial data for translation projects, and is distributed under the GNU licence. To read more about the project, see ReadMe.

This document explains TransProCalc under the following heads:

For suggestions, feedback, or feature requests, please drop a line to Anthony Baldwin (tonytraductor [at] linguasos.org).

How to download and install TransProCalc

TransProCalc is a cross-platform tool - it runs on Unix, Mac and Windows. It requires version 8.5 of ActiveTcl to run. To install TransProCalc on your computer, follow the steps listed below.

  1. Download the latest version of ActiveTcl.
  2. Install ActiveTcl by running the executable file ActiveTcl8.5.1.0.284069-win32-ix86-threaded.exe.
  3. Download the TransProCalc tarball or zip file.
  4. Unzip the tarball or zip file to extract the executable file tpcalc.tcl.
  5. Launch TransProCalc through the executable file tpcalc.tcl.
How to run a script in Windows?
 A-2: How to Run Scripts from Windows *

    How do I run a script?

    There are three approaches to starting scripts in Tcl: source,
    shortcuts, and file associations.

    The most obvious way is to launch the Wish application and use
    "source". This is the best way to debug scripts.

    The second alternative is to create a Program Manager icon (Windows
    3.x or NT 3.x) or a shortcut (Windows 95). The binary release uses
    this technique for the widget tour icon. The command line for the
    icon should be something like:

          
    c:\tcl\bin\wish81.exe c:\myscript.tcl      

    The third way to launch a Tcl script is to create a file type
    association for the extension ".tcl" (or ".tk"). Using the File
    Manager (or My Computer in Windows 95), create a new file type for
    .tcl, and add an "open" action. The command for the action should
    be something like:

          
    "c:\Program Files\tcl\bin\wish81.exe" "%1"      

    Once you have set up the association, you will be able to double
    click on script files in File Manager to launch the app.

    Note that if either the location of wish or the location of the
    script contains spaces in any of the file names, you must enclose
    the name in quotes. For example:

          
    "c:\Program Files\tcl\bin\wish81.exe" "c:\Program Files\myscript.tcl"      

	(* from http://www.faqs.org/faqs/tcl-faq/tk/windows/)

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How to use TransProCalc

TransProCalc has four modules to assist you with project management and bookkeeping:

This is what TransProCalc looks like when all four modules are open:

Each module can be used independently or with one another. For example, you may estimate a new project through ProjectEstimate; or, you may record the project documents through ProjectDocs and assign them to your service providers through ProjectAssign.

Each module generates a report that can be saved and accessed later through any text editor. (sample TPC report)

You cannot save projects. Every time you run TransProCalc, you need to re-enter the data.
Project Estimate

This is where you estimate the earnings and expenses of a new project. The picture below shows how to fill up the fields.

If any of these fields is blank, the calculations return a "?". To prevent this, do one of the following:


Charges
Your earnings are calculated as follows:
Total Charges = Translation Charges + Additional miscellaneous charges
To see the translation earnings from the project, click Trans. Charges:.
To see the additional miscellaneous charges, click Ttl Adl Chgs.
To see the total estimated earnings, click Total Charges.

Expenses
Your expenses are calculated as follows:
Expenses = Provider expenses + Estimated project expenses.
To see the total epenses, click Expenses.

Gross Profits
To see the expected profits, click Estimate.

You can save these values into a report that can be accessed through any text editor. (sample TPC estimate report).

How to Use TransProCalc

 

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Project Documents

This is where you track the number of documents of the project, and the language and translation units of each document. The picture below shows how to fill up the fields.

If any of these fields is blank, the calculations return a "?". To prevent this, do one of the following:

Number of documents
Total number of documents included in the 
project (5 in the figure to the left).

Units
This is the number of units per document for which you will be charging, whether lines, pages or words, as is your custom, and, possibly depending upon the service you are providing.

Translation units 
is the of the sum of the total number of units to be translated for each document, multiplied by the number of target translations for that document, and this value for each of the documents all added together.
Sounds complicated, but it isn't.  Just look at the figure and do that math, and you'll understand.

Total translation charges
Your income from the project is calculated as follows:
Total translation charges = Rate per unit X Number of translation units.
To see the total charges, enter the rate per unit in the Price/unit field and click Totl. Trans. Charges.

You can save these values into a report that can be accessed through any text editor. (sample TPC document report)

How to Use TransProCalc

 

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Project Assignments

This is where you keep track of the project components assigned to service vendors. The picture below shows how to fill up the fields.

If any of these fields is blank, the calculations return a "?". To prevent this, do one of the following:

  • Type in fillers such as "n/a" or "0" in the fields that you want to leave blank.
  • Click Reset to populate all fields with a single space.

Total provider costs
Your expenses on account of the components outsourced to service providers are calculated as follows:
Ttl Ptov Costs = Prov1 cost + Prov2 cost + Prov3 cost + Prov4 cost + Prov5 cost.
To see the total expenses on account of outsourcing your project components, click Ttl Ptov Costs.

You must generate a value for all 5 providers (even if some are blank) in order to generate the final calculation (thus, you must click "ProvN cost:" for all 5 providers).

You can save these values into a report that can be accessed through any text editor. (sample TPC assignment report)

How to Use TransProCalc

 

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Project Out

This is where you keep track of the billing and receipts of the project. The picture below shows how to fill up the fields.

If any of these fields is blank, the calculations return a "?". To prevent this, do one of the following:

  • Type in fillers such as "n/a" or "0" in the fields that you want to leave blank.
  • Click Reset to populate all fields with a single space.

Invoice Value
Your invoice value is calculated as follows:
Income = (Number of translation units X Rate per unit) + Additional charges.
To see the total invoice value, click PRICE.

Expenses
The expenses that you incurred on the project are calculated as follows:
Expenses = paid/out + paid/out + paid/out.
To see the total expenses, click PRICE.

Income
Your gross income is calculated as follows:
Income = Invoice Value - Expenses.
To see the gross income, click income.

Net profit
The net profit that you make from the project is calculated as follows:
Profit = Income - Tax.
To calculate the tax, enter the tax rate as a decimal in the tax % field and click taxes.
To calculate the net profit, click net profit.

You can save these values into a report that can be accessed through any text editor. (sample TPC ProjectOut report)

How to Use TransProCalc

 

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How to troubleshoot TransProCalc

This sections describes some of the error scenarios, their possible causes, and suggested solutions.

Error

Cause

Solution

TransProCalc does not run.

You do not have Tcl8.5 on your computer.

Download and install the latest version of ActiveTcl.

The calculation results show "?"

You tried to calculate expenses or income without filling up all the fields.

Fill up all the fields in the module and generate the report. For the fields that you want to leave blank, type in fillers such as "n/a" or "0".

You tried to generate a report without entering any values in the fields.

Fill up all the fields in the module and generate the report.

In the ProjectAssign module, you tried to calculate Prov4cost or Prov5cost without entering anything in the fields.

Fill up all the fields for Providers 4 and 5, and calculate the costs.   Click ProvN cost: for all 5 providers (even if some are blank).

You tried to save a non-existent report.

Fill up all the fields in the module and generate the report.

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What to expect in the next release of TransProCalc

Some plans for future releases include the following:

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This tutorial was created by: Anindita Basu

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