How does the structure of DITA content affect the localization process?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

The structure of DITA content significantly impacts the localization process. Here’s how it influences the workflow:

Modular Content: DITA’s modular structure, with topics and subtopics, allows translators to work on smaller units of content. Translating modules independently simplifies the localization process.

Reusability: DITA promotes content reuse. When content is reused across documents or in multiple places within a document, translators only need to translate it once. This reduces translation costs and ensures consistency.

Conditional Text: DITA’s conditional processing allows you to create conditional content for different audiences or conditions. When translating, you can adapt this conditional content as needed for the target audience.

Metadata: DITA includes metadata that provides context for translators. This metadata helps them understand the purpose of the content and its intended audience.

Localization Metadata: You can add localization-specific metadata to DITA content, such as translation status or language variants. This aids in managing the translation process efficiently.

Example:

Consider a DITA topic on a product description. Its modular structure allows translators to work on individual topics. If this product description is reused across multiple documents, it only needs to be translated once. Conditional text is used to customize descriptions for different product variants.

<!– Example of DITA content structure –>

<topic>
  <title>Product Description</title>
  <body>
    <p>This is a product description.</p>
    <prolog>
      <metadata>
        <subject>Product</subject>
      </metadata>
      <localization-metadata>
        <translation-status>Not Translated</translation-status>
      </localization-metadata>
    </prolog>
  </body>
  <conditional-processing>
    <product-variant id="A">
      <p>This is the description for product variant A.</p>
    </product-variant>
    <product-variant id="B">
      <p>This is the description for product variant B.</p>
    </product-variant>
  </conditional-processing>
</topic>

This example demonstrates how DITA’s modular structure, reusability, conditional text, and metadata impact the localization process.