Can translation tools extract content from DITA maps and topics efficiently?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Translation tools are designed to efficiently extract content from DITA maps and topics, making the localization process seamless and accurate. Here’s how these tools handle the extraction of content from DITA documents:

Content Identification

Translation tools can identify and extract content within DITA maps and topics. They recognize structural elements like <title> and <body>, ensuring that the extracted content maintains its hierarchy and organization. This ability to pinpoint content elements is vital for precise and context-aware translation.

Metadata and Attributes

Translation tools are aware of DITA-specific attributes and metadata. They can extract and work with attributes like “translate” to determine which content should be translated and which should be left in the source language. This attribute-based control allows for efficient content extraction while respecting DITA conventions.

Example:

Here’s an example of how a translation tool efficiently extracts content from a DITA topic:


<topic id="product_info">
  <title>Product Information</title>
  <body>
    <section id="overview">
      <title>About the Product</title>
      <p>This is an introduction to the product.</p>
    </section>
    <section id="features">
      <title>Product Features</title>
      <p>These are the features of the product.</p>
    </section>
  </body>
</topic>

In this example, the translation tool can efficiently extract content from the <body> element, including the titles and paragraphs within <section> elements. The DITA-specific attributes, if present, guide the translation tool in deciding which content to translate, ensuring a smooth localization process.