ПРИ ЭТОМ в большинстве случаев совсем не переводится на английский, или, если уж вообще, то через AND: The system administrator adds users, and each user is assigned a distinct role. -или- The system administrator adds users, with each user being assigned a distinct role.

Grumbler, I have to disagree with you on this one. IN SO DOING links the assignment of roles to the adding of users and I see these as two distinct steps in the process. IN SO DOING is about cause and effect: “My brother lost his house key, so he left the back door unlocked when he went out with his friends, and, in so doing, basically allowed last night’s break-in to happen.” Here, the break-in was a consequence of leaving the door unlocked, however in the original post, the assignment of roles isn’t the consequence of adding users.

OK, deleted
Do you disagree with explanations at https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/54107/by-doing-it-vs-in-doing-so , where they say that, basically, IN doing so = WHILE doing so ?

I do and I don’t - they’re basically saying the same thing I just told you, but not as efficiently. The example with the vase, for example, is cause and effect: the vase broke not because/while she was cleaning up, but because she did it hastily. I don’t think that person even realizes what they themselves wrote. They seem to think that their sentence refers to the vase breaking WHILE they were cleaning. The only reason their sentence works is because HASTILY “licenses” the use of IN SO DOING.

OK, thanks

Anytime)))

thank you, guys!

anytime)))

все думаю)) дело в том что мне по роду работы постоянно приходится описывать поведение системы, механизм принятия решений. control flow, orchestration etc. в русском языке "при этом" незаменимо просто, как мне кажется. как поступать в английском? "user presses the button and smth happens and at the same time..."? или "smth starts happening and meanwhile...smth else.."? "initiating smth the system starts... doing smth else"? "while doing"?))

все думаю)) дело в том что мне по роду работы постоянно приходится описывать поведение системы, механизм принятия решений. control flow, orchestration etc. в русском языке "при этом" незаменимо просто, как мне кажется. как поступать в английском? "user presses the button and smth happens and at the same time..."? или "smth starts happening and meanwhile...smth else.."? "initiating smth the system starts... doing smth else"? "while doing"?))

In most cases, the only thing that sounds natural in English is AND, as well as WITH in limited cases. Take a look at how it’s translated on this site: http://context.reverso.net/translation/russian-english/%2C+%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8+%D1%8D%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BC