SDL WorldServer: Error 'The translated text length for the worksheet name (sheet) is longer than the allowed 31 characters. Please change the text and try again.'

When Saving an Excel file in Browser Workbench or Importing a Return package including an Excel file (as bilingual SDLXLIFF) into SDL WorldServer the error

The translated text length for the worksheet name(sheet)is longer than the allowed 31 characters. Please change the text and try again.

appears.

Resolution #1:

The translation of any worksheet names will need to be updated to less than 31 characters in the Return package or if the error appears in WorldServer during the Save or Save target step or in Browser Workbench, the translation can be shorten in Browser Workbench.

Best practice: if you want to shorten the translation of the worksheet name in Browser Workbench, download the source Excel file and check the worksheet name of the source language. Then search for it in Browser Workbench to make sure you are updating the right target segment. If there are more segments with the same contect as the worksheet, export the Task to a WSXZ package, open it in SDL Trados Studio. SDL Trados Studio marks the worksheet name segment as WSN+ as displayed below:

Resolution #2:

To prevent this issue to happen, you can set the Microsoft Excel File Type Configuration not to translate the worksheet names. To do so,

1. for Microsoft Excel 2007-2013/2016 (XLSX) files go to: Management > Linguistic Tool Setup > File Types > Microsoft Excel 2007-2016 File Type 
2. for Microsoft Excel 2003 (XLS) files, go to: Management > Linguistic Tool Setup > File Types > Microsoft Excel 97-2016 File Type
3. Select the relevant Filter Configuration, i.e. Default.
4. Click on Worksheet name and select the option Do not translate sheet names
5. Click on Save to save your changes. Worksheet names will not be exposed for translation anymore after this change.

Microsoft Excel imposes a limit of 31 characters for the name of a worksheet. If the Microsoft Excel 2000-2003, 97-2007 or or 2000-2016 File Types in SDL WorldServer are configured to extract worksheet names from the source content, it may be that the translation of a worksheet name exceeds 31 characters.

Reated article:

Error at Save or Import of Excel files in WorldServer 'Blank sheet names are not allowed'