XLIFF

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XLIFF
Filename extension .xlf
Internet media type application/x-xliff+xml
Extended from XML

XLIFF (XML Localisation Interchange File Format) is an XML-based format created to standardize localization. XLIFF was standardized by OASIS in 2002. Its current specification is v1.2[1] released on Feb-1-2008.

The specification is aimed at the localization industry. It specifies elements and attributes to aid in localization.

XLIFF forms part of the Open Architecture for XML Authoring and Localization (OAXAL) reference architecture.

Contents

[edit] Description

An XLIFF document is composed of one or more <file> elements. Each <file> element corresponds to an original file or source (i.e. database table). A <file> contains the source of the localizable data and, once translated, the corresponding localized data for one, and only one, locale.

Localizable data are stored in <trans-unit> elements. The <trans-unit> element holds a <source> element to store the source text, and a <target> element to store the latest translated text. The <target> elements are not mandatory.

<trans-unit id="1">
 <source xml:lang="en">Cannot find the file.</source>
 <target xml:lang="fr">Fichier non trouvé.</target>
</trans-unit>

The example below shows an XLIFF document storing text extracted from a Photoshop file (PSD file) and its translation in Japanese:

<xliff version="1.2">
 <file original="Graphic Example.psd"
  source-language="en-US" target-language="ja-JP"
  tool="Rainbow" datatype="photoshop">
  <header>
   <skl>
    <external-file uid="3BB236513BB24732" href="Graphic Example.psd.skl"/>
   </skl>
   <phase-group>
    <phase phase-name="extract" process-name="extraction"
     tool="Rainbow" date="20010926T152258Z"
     company-name="NeverLand Inc." job-id="123"
     contact-name="Peter Pan" contact-email="ppan@example.com">
     <note>Make sure to use the glossary I sent you yesterday.
      Thanks.</note>
    </phase>
   </phase-group>
  </header>
  <body>
   <trans-unit id="1" maxbytes="14">
    <source xml:lang="en-US">Quetzal</source>
    <target xml:lang="ja-JP">Quetzal</target>
   </trans-unit>
   <trans-unit id="3" maxbytes="114">
    <source xml:lang="en-US">An application to manipulate and 
     process XLIFF documents</source>
    <target xml:lang="ja-JP">XLIFF 文書を編集、または処理
     するアプリケーションです。</target>
   </trans-unit>
   <trans-unit id="4" maxbytes="36">
    <source xml:lang="en-US">XLIFF Data Manager</source>
    <target xml:lang="ja-JP">XLIFF データ・マネージャ</target>
   </trans-unit>
  </body>
 </file>
</xliff>

[edit] Current Activity Development Around The XLIFF Standard

The XLIFF Technical Committee is currently at work on XLIFF 2.0.[2] Much feedback has been gathered from XLIFF's user community which will be synthesized and implemented into the next version of the standard. Two of the primary methods include compiling a list of extensions used by XLIFF toolmakers, and compiling a list of XLIFF features supported in each XLIFF tool.

[edit] Extensions Used By XLIFF Toolmakers

Makers of XLIFF tools have taken advantage of XLIFF's extensibility mechanism in order to implement a number of features. By collecting a list of these extension points, and analyzing them for common tasks, the XLIFF TC hopes to improve the XLIFF 2.0 Specification to include mechanisms that will enable the toolmakers to support these features without using extensibility.

[edit] Features Supported By XLIFF Toolmakers

Makers of XLIFF tools have supported different sets of features in the XLIFF 1.2 Specification. By compiling a list of these features the XLIFF TC hopes to identify areas where the XLIFF 2.0 Specification can be improved to enable toolmakers to more widely support the specification.

[edit] XLIFF Related Tools

[edit] File Manipulation and Checking Tools

  • XLIFFChecker is an open source tool written in Java that checks compliance of XLIFF files with the official standard published by OASIS.
  • XLIFFMerger is free Java tool for merging and splitting XLIFF files.
  • Translate Toolkit converts various file formats to XLIFF and provides checking, filtering and manipulation tools for the format.
  • The Okapi Framework provides multiple filters that generate XLIFF documents[3] and various components that use XLIFF[4].
  • xliffRoundTrip Tool is an open source tool that will transform any well-formed XML file into XLIFF, then transform the translated version of that XLIFF file back into its initial XML format.
  • QA Distiller is a commercial tool that runs automated translation quality checks on bilingual files, including XLIFF files.
  • ApSIC Xbench is a free tool for searching terminology and automatically checking the quality of XLIFF files, among other popular bilingual formats.

[edit] Editors

  • Benten is an open source XLIFF editor written in Java.
  • OmegaT - a cross-platform and open source CAT tool.
  • Pootle - a web-based localisation platform.
  • Heartsome - a suite of cross-platform CAT (Computer-assisted translation) tools founded on open standards: XLIFF, TMX, TBX, SRX, XML, GMX. It also provides a free Lite version.
  • Swordfish III is a cross-platform CAT tool that uses XLIFF 1.2 as native format.
  • Virtaal - an open source CAT tool.
  • Web Translate It, a web-based CAT tool.
  • XTM is a highly collaborative web server based CAT environment with extensive support for XLIFF (1.0 through to 1.2) as well as an implementation of the OASIS OAXAL architecture.

[edit] Related Resources

[edit] References

  1. ^ OASIS XLIFF 1.2 specifications
  2. ^ XLIFF 2.0 Development pages
  3. ^ Okapi filters
  4. ^ Okapi components using XLIFF
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=XLIFF&oldid=467037545"
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