How is terminology extracted and managed for DITA localization?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Terminology management is a critical aspect of DITA localization, ensuring that consistent and accurate terminology is used across languages and regions. DITA provides tools and practices for extracting, managing, and applying terminology in the localization process.

Terminology Extraction

Before localization, terminology needs to be identified within DITA content. This can involve manual review or automated tools to detect terms that require translation. For example, a terminology extraction tool may identify terms within <term> elements and compile a glossary of terms to be translated and managed across multiple languages.

Terminology Management

DITA localization workflows often involve the use of terminology databases or glossaries. These databases store the translations of specific terms and phrases in various languages. Terminology databases can be leveraged by translation tools, ensuring that the correct terminology is consistently applied during the translation process.

Example:

Here’s an example of how terminology can be managed within DITA content:


<concept id="dita_terminology_example">
  <title>Terminology Management</title>
  <body>
    <p>When authoring DITA content, it's essential to use <term> elements for key terminology. For example, <term id="dita_term_1">XML</term> is a crucial concept in DITA authoring.</p>
  </body>
  <glossentry id="dita_glossary_1">
    <glossterm><termref keyref="dita_term_1"/></glossterm>
    <glossdef><indexterm>XML, definition of</indexterm>XML is a markup language used for structuring documents.</glossdef>
  </glossentry>

In this example, the DITA content includes a <term> element for the term “XML.” This term can be linked to a glossary entry for translation and consistent usage across languages.