The Nuts and Bolts: Using XLIFF Vocabularies and Open Standards for XML Translation and Localization

1. The Nuts and Bolts; How to use XLIFF Vocabularies, and other Open Standards for XML Translation and Localization The OASIS Symposium on the Future of XML Vocabularies 26 April, 2005 Bryan Schnabel, Tektronix, Inc.

2. The thing about language translation. . . • If you are involved in translation, you know just how tricky it can be • It’s never the easiest part of the operation • Some of these topics might really be useful for you • If you’re not involved in translation, just watch this presentation in terms of an OASIS success story • The interaction between different XML vocabularies is an interesting concept Confidential

3. I will tell my story in Parts • Part I: Good things • Why XLIFF is good • Why Open Standards are vital • Why diversity is good • Part II: Sketch a quick example (case study) • Part III: How does XLIFF work? • Nuts • Bolts • Part IV: Demonstrations: interacting XML vocabularies • Technical Documentation and XLIFF • SVG and XLIFF • Online Help and XLIFF Confidential

4. Part I The Goodness: XLIFF, Open Standards, and Diversity are each good. And they are related. . . Confidential

5. In some ways, the relationship is hierarchical or layered Confidential

6. In some ways it’s linear Confidential

7. XLIFF is good • XML Localization Interchange File Format (from the charter, http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/xliff/charter.php) The purpose of the OASIS XLIFF TC is to define, throughXML vocabularies an extensible specification for the interchange of localization information. The specification will provide the ability to mark up and capture localizable data and interoperate with different processes or phases without loss of information. The vocabularies will be tool-neutral, support the localization-related aspects of internationalization and the entire localization process. . . . Confidential

8. So, why is XLIFF good? • It’s an open standard • It has been developed by people from all the important disciplines in translation • Tool makers • Translation and localization vendors • End users • Technical communicators and technical developers • Software developers • Being and open standard, and having been developed by a wide range of disciplines, XLIFF vocabularies reflect diversity Confidential

9. Open Standards are vital • A company’s Information is one of its most valuable resources • Proprietary tools and formats place Information, at risk • The information is difficult to access without the proprietary tool • Tool makers are not bound to maintain their tool in ways consistent with the requirements of a company • Open standards facilitate “future-proofing” • Open standards provide industry standard vocabularies to exchange information (peer to peer; vendor to client; apple to orange) Confidential

10. Afterall. . . “Successful business integration relies on agreement between parties on the vocabularies that define the messages they exchange, and the understanding of both the syntax and semantics of the exchanges.” William Cox Jishnu Mukerji Symposium Co-Chairs * from The OASIS Symposium on the Future of XML Vocabularies, http://www.oasis-open.org/events/symposium_2005/about.php Confidential

11. Part III and Part IV will be framed in the context of this case study (mostly) Part II To set the stage for the next parts, here’s an example: a case study Confidential

12. Tektronix • Tektronix, Technical Communications department, is typical of many publishing groups • Staff of about 40 people • tech writers, editors, graphic artists, production people, managers, 2 developers, 1 localization project manager • Many thousand pages per year • paper manuals, cd – dvds, online help, manuals on the web (pdf), marketing product datasheets (html), important internal documents Confidential

13. Service manual User manual TDS3000Reference Reference card For a long time we just published paper, lots of paper • We got by rather well, for 17 years, using mostly Interleaf Confidential

14. Translating with Interleaf was complicated Change log changes during translation cycle $$$ $$$$ Translation provider – extraneous activity Ileaf xlated doc Ileaf xlated doc template build Ileaf docs (DTP) Ileaf xlated doc Ileaf source doc text extraction $$$$ $$$ $$ Frame xlated doc build Frame docs (DTP) Frame xlated doc graphics extraction Frame xlated doc Translators (Word in Trados) $$ Translated documents were usually not maintained Confidential

15. An unplanned “what if” happened • Interleaf was purchased by Broadvision • Broadvision’s roadmap for Interleaf departed from our requirements Confidential

16. We had to make a choice We chose to develop a new system based on open standards, starting with XML Confidential

17. The price of change • “Rescue” Interleaf files • Develop a means to transform Interleaf files to XML • Develop the means to extract embedded Interleaf graphics (preserving fonts and vectors) • Select XML tools • Develop XML applications • Training and implementation Confidential

18. Why it was worth the price • Future proof • If any XML tool evolves away from Tektronix’ requirements, just get a new tool. • Data needs no “rescue operation” • One source can be published in many formats • PDF • HTML • Online help • Single sourcing is enabled in a non-proprietary way • Translation becomes less problematic Confidential

19. Let’s explore this point further: • Future proof • If any XML tool evolves away from Tektronix’ requirements, just get a new tool. • Data needs no “rescue operation” • One source can be published in many formats • PDF • HTML • Online help • Single sourcing is enabled in a non-proprietary way • Translation becomes less problematic Confidential

20. Transform XML content From authoring DTD To XLIFF Schema Transform XML content From XLIFF Schema To authoring DTD XML-based translation (b2b XML transaction) EnglishXML file XML (XLIFFSchema) Translation provider translates content TranslatedXML file XML (XLIFFSchema) Translated documents are maintained (become assets) Remember, the translation vendors helped write XLIFF; they are quite comfortable with it Confidential

21. Part III The nuts and bolts: here’s a brief look at how XLIFF works. Confidential

22. XLIFF and XML Vocabularies • The XLIFF document stores bilingual source-target strings and metadata • The XLIFF document preserves the structure from the original documents • The XLIFF document can contain metadata to aid in other aspects of the translation • Word count • Translation memory • Alternate translations Confidential

23. What is XLIFF like to the user? • At Tektronix, for example it goes like this: Confidential

24. Browse XML Repository for English file Confidential

25. The writer uses an “authoring” DTD to do their work Make final edits Confidential

26. Select “Translation Tools” (custom feature) • An XLIFF file is created from the English XML, and ftp’d to the translation vendor (along with the image files, and a composed PDF) Confidential

27. All Hierarchical information is preserved in XLIFF file Text is presented as Source and Target elements in English; state attribute set to “needs translation” Snip of an XLIFF file: prepared for the vendor <trans-unit resname="Para" tek:trk="n c 7" id="n-c-7"> <source xml:lang="EN">Assignments between logical links and protocols must always be unique. This is especially important if your measurement includes a protocol stack that contains both MTP and LAPx parameters. You can check for uniqueness in the <g id="guilabel-x-d0e318" xmrk:ancs="5" ctype="x guilabel">Short View</g> pane. </source> <target state="needs-translation" xml:lang=“ZH"> Assignments between logical links and protocols must always be unique. This is especially important if your measurement includes a protocol stack that contains both MTP and LAPx parameters. You can check for uniqueness in the <g id="guilabel-x-d0e318" xmrk:ancs="5" ctype="x guilabel">Short View</g> pane. </target> </trans-unit> Confidential

28. Vendor translates the target; changes state <trans-unit resname="Para" tek:trk="n c 7" id="n-c-7"> <source xml:lang="EN"> Assignments between logical links and protocols must always be unique. This is especially important if your measurement includes a protocol stack that contains both MTP and LAPx parameters. You can check for uniqueness in the <g id="guilabel-x-d0e318" xmrk:ancs="5" ctype="x guilabel">Short View</g> pane. </source> <target state="needs-review-translation" xml:lang=“ZH" >逻辑链接和协议之间的分配必须总是唯一的。如果测量中存在同时包含 MTP 和 LAPx 参数的协议堆栈，那么这一点至关重要。您可以在 <g id="guilabel-x-d0e123" xmrk:ancs="5" ctype="x-guilabel" >Short View（短视图）</g>窗格中检查其唯一性。 </target> </trans-unit> Confidential

29. Translated “pack” is ftp’d back to Tektronix • Contents: • Composed Chinese PDF file (showpages) • Translated Image files • Translated English / Chinese XLIFF file Confidential

30. Import the translated XLIFF file • XLIFF is transformed back into authoring DTD • Attributes and hierarchy are preserved • Translated file is checked into XML repository Confidential

31. Translated file can go on its merry way . . . Confidential

32. PDF file is automatically created for print Confidential

33. Chinese HTML generated from translated XLIFF file Chinese Online Help generated from translated XLIFF file Other media from the same translated XLIFF Confidential

34. Part IV The demonstrations • Technical Documentation and XLIFF • xliffRoundTrip – Tool that converts anyXML to XLIFF, and back • SVG and XLIFF • SVG to XLIFF to SVG – Tool for translating text in image files • Online Help and XLIFF • Translate a document via XLIFF, and publishing each language as an online help system Confidential

35. xliffRoundTrip tool: any doctype will do • Complete round trip for ANY well-formed XML instance and XLIFF. . . * xliffRoundTrip tool consists of two XSL files I developed for the XLIFF Technical Committee, and a Java application that processes the XML. I offer them free to the public under GNU license at https://sourceforge.net/projects/xliffroundtrip/ Any XML instance Translated (same) XML instance xml2xliff.xsl Translate XLIFF file Valid XLIFF file xliff2xml.xsl Confidential

36. How about that Demo? Let’s break away from PowerPoint for a few minutes for a live demonstration of XLIFF and Technical Documentation Confidential

37. SVG to XLIFF to SVG The generic roundtrip can be a good starting point, but sometimes complex document types require specified coding. Still, open standards should be embraced. Using open standards, in this demo we will: • View an English SVG file in a text editor, the browser, and in Adobe Illustrator • Transform the SVG to XLIFF using only standards (XSLT) • Translate the XLIFF to some mythical language • Transform the XLIFF back to SVG • View the mythical language SVG file in the browser and AI • Look “under the hood” at the code Confidential

38. Why do we need more than just the generic tool? • Namespace challenges • Less-than-well-formed instance from some SVG tool makers • Judgment call: given the complexity of an SVG file, the generic xliffRoundTrip Tool creates a “difficult-to-read” file (lots of XML “goo” which makes use of vocabularies to model the image geometry) SVG instance Translated SVG instance perl – “well former” perl – “back former” Valid XLIFF file Translate XLIFF file svg2xliff.xsl xliff2svg.xsl Confidential

39. How about that Demo? Let’s break away from PowerPoint for a few minutes for a live demonstration of XLIFF and Graphics Confidential

40. Compiling translated XML to online help Using mostly open standards (exception: the help compiler), we will: • View an English XML file in the Epic Editor • Transform the XML to XLIFF using open standards (XSLT) • Translate the XLIFF to Chinese and German • Transform the XLIFF to XHTML • Compile the XHTML to Compiled online help (alas, MS HTML Help compiler, free but not open standard) • View the Chinese and German online help Confidential

41. Open standards produce non-roundtrip XSLT 2.0 Transform to XHTML files English XML file 2 XLIFF files 2 translated XLIFF files Translate to Chinese and German • XSLT: Create the configuration files drawn from the translated XLIFF files • Project file • Index file • TOC file Online Help • Difference: the starting point and ending point are not the same doctype Confidential

42. How about that Demo? Let’s break away from PowerPoint for a few minutes for a live demonstration of XLIFF and Online Help Confidential

43. questions . . . Confidential