How do culinary organizations handle terminology translation and localization in DITA?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Managing terminology translation and localization in DITA is essential for culinary organizations that operate in diverse regions and languages. It ensures that culinary content is accessible and comprehensible to a broader audience. Here are strategies for handling terminology translation and localization within DITA:

Use of Conditional Text

DITA allows the use of conditional text based on attributes like “xml:lang” to specify different language versions of content. Culinary organizations can create multiple versions of their documentation, each tailored to a specific language or region. By toggling the language attribute, they can display the appropriate terminology and content for the target audience. This approach streamlines the translation and localization process while maintaining a single source of content.

Translation Memory Integration

Integrating translation memory tools with DITA simplifies the translation process for culinary organizations. These tools store previously translated content, allowing translators to reuse common culinary terms and phrases consistently across documents. DITA’s structured format ensures that translated content fits seamlessly into the document structure, maintaining consistency and reducing translation time and costs.

Example:

Here’s an example illustrating the use of conditional text in DITA for terminology translation:


<topic id="recipe" xml_lang="en-US">
  <title>Classic Pasta Carbonara</title>
  <body>
    <p>To prepare <term>Carbonara</term>, follow these steps.</p>
  </body>
</topic>

<topic id="recipe" xml_lang="fr-FR">
  <title>Pasta Carbonara Classique</title>
  <body>
    <p>Pour préparer la <term>Carbonara</term>, suivez ces étapes.</p>
  </body>

In this example, the same DITA topic is provided in both English (en-US) and French (fr-FR) versions. The “xml:lang” attribute specifies the language, allowing DITA processors to display the appropriate content based on the user’s language preference.