MetaTexis can use five professional database engines to save and administer local databases saved on your computer. For this reason, it is ensured that your TM and TDB data are saved quickly and safely, for database engines are optimized for saving and searching data. Even in the case of a computer breakdown, the data will usually not get lost.
For performance and limitation reasons, you are advised to use the SQLite engine, for it is very fast, and the file size is virtually unlimited.
To set the database type, click the menu command Set database type (for creating new databases):
To create a database, select one type by clicking a radio button and click OK. Then, a dialog will be shown where you can define a name and choose a directory.
Six database types are available:
· SQLite
This is the fastest database type. And the file size is virtually unlimited. The SQLite engine ships with the MetaTexis installation file, so this type can run on every system where MetaTexis 3 is installed.
If you intend to build up very big translation memories or terminology databases, use this type.
A TM is saved as a file with the extension ".mxtm" while a TDB is saved as a file with the extension ".mxtdb". These files contain the complete database. Therefore, to copy a TM or a TDB to another location, you only need to copy one file.
· MS Access database
MS Access databases are fast and reliable. The Microsoft Access database engine (also called "Jet engine") is available on your system if MS Office with Access is installed on your system, or if the MS Access runtime files are installed. If the MS Access type is not available on your computer, you can download the MS Access runtime engine for free via this link:
A TM is saved as a file with the extension ".mxa" while a TDB is saved as a file with the extension ".mxt". These files contain all relevant information, including all indexes. Therefore, to copy a TM or a TDB to another location, you only need to copy one file.
You are advised to regularly compress your main TM/TDB by clicking the menu command Compress main TM or Compress main TDB.
· Microsoft SQL Server 2005/2008
The Microsoft SQL Server engine is available as full version with unlimited database sizes and as freeware version with a size limit of 4 Gigabytes (it can be downloaded for free at http://msdn.microsoft.com/sql/express/default.aspx). The MS SQL Server is highly reliable, but it is slower than SQLite and MS Access. If you do not have experience with managing database professional engines, use the SQLite engine.
· MySQL (libMySQL or ODBC)
This engine is one of the most popular open source database engines. MySQL is highly reliable, and there is virtually no size limit. Moreover, support for MySQL is available all over the world by many database experts. The MySQL engine can be downloaded at this location:
The MySQL engine can be accessed either via the libMySQL interface, or via the ODBC interface. It is recommended to use the ODBC interface. To be able to use the MySQL engine, it must be installed locally. Remote connections to MySQL servers are not supported.
If you do not have experience with managing professional database engines, use the SQLite engine.
· PostGreSQL (ODBC)
This engine is another popular open source database engines. The PostGreSQL engine is highly reliable, and there is virtually no size limit. Moreover, support for PostGreSQL is available all over the world by many database experts. The PostGreSQL engine can be downloaded at this location:
To be able to use the PostGreSQL engine, it must be installed locally. Remote connections to PostGreSQL servers are not supported. If you do not have experience with managing professional database engines, use the SQLite engine.
Note: The edb engine that was available in former versions of MetaTexis is not available for creating new databases, anymore. The reason for sorting our edb is that the vendor of this engine does not support and develop this engine, anymore. Moreover, the SQLite engine is a better and faster alternative.
Nevertheless, if you have edb databases, you can still use them. However, it is recommended to create a new SQLite database instead and to import the edb database into your new SQLite database.
Besides the database type, you can make two other settings:
· Enable inverse searching and saving
If this checkbox is active, any new database will be prepared for inverse (or reverse) searching and saving. If a database is enabled this way, and if the corresponding settings in the Document Options are made, the database will not only be searched in the original language direction (e.g. English -> Russian), but also in the opposite direction (e.g. Russian -> English). This can be helpful when you translate texts where the language direction does not change the way a sentence is translated (that is, when the context of a sentence does not matter much).
Note that you can enable the inverse searching and saving all the time in the Database Options dialog via in the Database Center.
· Do not show this dialog and use current settings when creating databases
If this checkbox is active, the dialog box will not be shown when you create new TMs or TDBs, and the last settings saved will be used. If the checkbox is not checked, the dialog is displayed each time you click the Create button in the Document options or the Start Assistant.