What is XLIFF (XML Localization Interchange File Format)
XLIFF
is an XML-based
format created to standardize the way localizable data are passed
between tools during a localization
process and a common format for CAT
tool exchange.
XLIFF
is the industry-standard bilingual file format. It is supported by
several CAT tools. Many CAT tools make use of an intermediate
bilingual file format, i.e. a file containing both source and target
language segments, and in some cases also the structure of the
original file.
XLIFF
is a format that's used to exchange localisation data between
participants in a translation project. This special format enables
translators to concentrate on the text to be translated, without
worrying about text layout. The XLIFF standard is supported by a
large group of localisation service providers and localisation tools
providers.
The
most important reason for you to use XLIFF when translating documents
is that you can use a single file format when translating
different kinds of documents.
Benefit of using
Xliff
- No overhead for
translators to buy and lern properietry software.
- Some formats are
exceedingly difficult to translate in their native format.
Websites
Software
Graphics
Steps to follow in a localisation project:
Extract all
translatable text from the original documents.
Store the
extracted strings in a XLIFF document.
Send out the
XLIFF document for translation.
Extract the translated strings
from the XLIFF document and reinsert them into the original
documents.
The process can now be reformulated with
more detail as follows:
Text
extraction: Separation of translatable text from layout data.
Pre-translation:
Addition of existing translation to the XLIFF file generated in the
previous step.
Translation:
Performed by a professional translator.
Reverse
conversion: Generation of a translated document from the
translated XLIFF file.
Translation memory
improvement: Storage of new translations in a translation memory
(TM) database for later reuse.
One of the advantages of
XLIFF is its relative simplicity. An XLIFF file can be described as a
collection of translation units. Each translation unit
contains a sentence or paragraph that's extracted from the original
document in an element called ,
and the translator has to fill a
element with the appropriate translation.
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