Efficient localization of visual content for global manufacturing audiences is a critical aspect of ensuring effective communication across diverse regions. DITA XML plays a significant role in streamlining this process and improving efficiency in several ways.

Modular Content Reuse

DITA’s modular content structure allows for the creation of reusable components. When creating visual content, manufacturers can develop modules for images, animations, and interactive elements that are common across different documents. These modular components can be easily incorporated into various documents, reducing the need for duplicated efforts in localization. This approach ensures that standardized visuals can be maintained and updated in one place, and any changes automatically reflect across all documents, reducing localization effort and potential errors.

Conditional Text for Multiple Languages

DITA’s conditional text capabilities are invaluable for creating content that adapts to different languages and regions. Manufacturers can use conditional text tags to store alternative text versions for various languages within a single DITA topic. This means that a single visual component, such as an image with associated text, can have conditional variations for different languages. Localization teams can then easily switch between these conditional variants during the localization process, ensuring that content is tailored to specific regions without duplicating images or complex files. This minimizes effort and reduces the risk of inconsistencies in visual content.

Example:

Here’s an example of how DITA XML enables modular content reuse and conditional text for efficient localization:

<topic id="assembly-instructions">
  <title>Assembly Instructions</title>
  <content>
    <p>Follow these steps to assemble the product:

    <figure>
      <image src="assembly_steps.png" alt="Assembly Steps" />
      <conditional-text language="en">This is the English assembly procedure.</conditional-text>
      <conditional-text language="fr">Voici la procédure d'assemblage en français.</conditional-text>
      <conditional-text language="es">Este es el procedimiento de ensamblaje en español.</conditional-text>
    </figure>
    <p>Complete the assembly by following the appropriate language version.

  </content>
</topic>

In this example, a DITA topic for assembly instructions contains conditional text for different languages, allowing for efficient localization of the same visual content for global manufacturing audiences.