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Doc Maik
Legend
April 14, 2021
Question

Tool for correct word count

  • April 14, 2021
  • 4 replies
  • 1759 views

Hello!

Does anybody know a source for a script or an extension that can correctly count words? This is needed for translators who charge their service by word count.

The built-in Indesign word counter is nonsense, as it even counts a single number as word. The word counter should be configurable to skip counting numbers, physical units, URLs etc.

Thank you. 

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4 replies

hammer0909
Community Expert
hammer0909Community Expert
Community Expert
April 15, 2021

Have you tried just clicking in the text frame and opening the Info panel? It shows you how many Characters, Words, Lines, and Paragraphs are in the frame.

 

D
Doc MaikAuthor
Legend
April 15, 2021

That's the Indesign word count I mentioned above which counts a zero as a word. 

hammer0909
Community Expert
hammer0909Community Expert
Community Expert
April 15, 2021

Oh you never mentioned the Info panel so I didn't know what "Built-in word counter" meant.

L
Community Expert
LaubenderCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 15, 2021

Hi Doc Maik,

the script Anne-Marie Concepción is showing at LinkedIn is no magic tool that fits your needs.

There could be no "magic bullet", no standard script that would fit your needs.

 

I think you should hire a scripter to develop a tool around your needs that could be trained with exceptions.

A tool that even would use formatting of text for decissions if a word is billable, should be translated, or not.

 

Regards,

Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

    D
    Doc MaikAuthor
    Legend
    April 15, 2021

    It doesn't have to be a script. There are also extensions for Indesign which are based on script language, but more sophisticated. Maybe someone reading this already has one that exactly does what I need and could tell the name. That's what I asked for. I could also modify the scripts myself if I see that it basically respects filters, but that costs some time. Searching Google for word count extension didn't yet bring something up. I'll continue searching.

     

    L
    Community Expert
    LaubenderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 14, 2021

    Hi Doc Maik,

    is there a strict definition what exactly a billable word is?

    You could work on that definition to build a GREP find pattern and count the result.

     

    Also read into that article by Marc Autret to understand that defining a word is not that easy:

    https://www.indiscripts.com/post/2011/09/what-exactly-is-a-word

     

    Regards,
    Uwe Laubender

    ( ACP )

      D
      Doc MaikAuthor
      Legend
      April 15, 2021

      Yes. All those you would translate. 

      Geоrge
      Geоrge
      Legend
      April 15, 2021

      Google translate can do a miracles. And you are need only to download a script that attached directly to the post. 

       

       

       

      Remember, never say you can't do something in InDesign, it's always just a question of finding the right workaround to get the job done. © David Blatner
        Geоrge
        Geоrge
        Legend
        April 14, 2021

        Try this - https://forum.rudtp.ru/threads/chislo-znakov-i-probelov-v-indi.48807/post-675962

        Remember, never say you can't do something in InDesign, it's always just a question of finding the right workaround to get the job done. © David Blatner
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