How are translation memories (TMs) used to identify and apply content variants in DITA?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Translation memories (TMs) play a valuable role in identifying and applying content variants in DITA XML, streamlining the translation process and ensuring consistency across multiple language versions. TMs are databases that store previously translated content, and they can be leveraged to improve the efficiency and accuracy of translating content variants.

Identifying Matching Segments

When translating DITA content, TMs are used to identify segments of text that have been previously translated. These segments can include entire sentences, paragraphs, or even individual terms. By matching the content to the translation memory, translators can quickly identify existing translations for content variants, reducing the need for redundant translation efforts.

Translation Memory Example:

Here’s an example of how translation memories can be applied to DITA content variants:


<topic id="product_description">
  <title>Product Description</title>
  <body>
    <p>This is the product description for the general audience.</p>
    <p>This content segment may have been previously translated into multiple languages and stored in the translation memory.</p>
  </body>

In this example, the translation memory can store and retrieve the translation for the common content segment, reducing the translation effort for content variants.

Ensuring Consistency

By utilizing translation memories, DITA content variants can maintain consistency across languages and audiences. Translators can reference previous translations, ensuring that terminology and style remain uniform, even for distinct content variants. This not only saves time and effort but also enhances the overall quality of multilingual documentation.