DITA and Localization: Bringing the Best Together

DITA and Localisation Bringing the best together

Igor Localisation

Mgr

The ACME DITA saga Characters

Characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Amanda Documentation

Architect, US

Experts for your global reach 2

Acme company. Amanda the Loc Manager struggles with Dominique the In-Country Reviewer

Let’s go back two years…..

Amanda is trying to plan her DITA deployment project. A large part of the ROI comes from localisation.

She meets Igor the Localisation Manager to plan the migration.


Yes, they had a look at DITA and

told me it was just like any XML!

Does our LSP know how to localise DITA

content?


Is DITA just like any XML?

Usually the answer from any LSP: It will take 3-6 months to get the process working

New issues will come afterwards at each project

You will teach them how to use DITA

It is not like any XML: It is a standard

It is rich (it includes many localisation-friendly features)

A publishing engine is available (DITA OT)

But it also brings “complexity” that can lessen your ROI


With DITA the number of files will increase.

Can our LSP handle it?

I am afraid it will cost us more and take more time…


DITA file management

300 pages documents explode into 800 files Your LSP needs a Server based Translation management system (server, workflows, …)

Pricing model: File handling, pre- and post-processing fees

Why not a single Xliff file? Transformation loss of context

Segmentation rules differ

Need to break up into smaller files with translator teams


What about our Translation Memories?

We own them. I hope they have been

updated


Translation memories

Usually you own them

Can be reused and exported as TMX

Cleaning process required, especially with a CAT tool change

We recommend isolating and cascading them ….

If you re-write content, expect a 20%-30% rise of localisation cost before getting the full benefit…

100% matching vs In Context Exact matching (ICE)


Shall I filter out the content which was not updated and send a

PDF ?

You’d better do it otherwise it will

cost money


What to send the LSP

No filtering required, provided you have ICE matching and no handling fees

Having all the files allows to republish locally: With all the content to be translated (conditional and metadata)

Direct access to the content

Easy to access for the translator

PDF is no longer needed.


Translator’s game

In a Vacuum pump installation guide:

How am I going to find this in my PDF file ?

And the winner is…

Source Target

English source text To be completed by the translator in his language

Source Target

N ???

N Dyn. Lb.ft/s²

0.5 50,000 3.6


In a CCMS documentation

Is this:

An instruction to create templates or masters ?

A role of experts allowed to run the Build feature?

Something else?

Source Target

Build masters ????


Source Target

Remove either the conduit plug (side) or grommet (top) for side or top wire entry.

????

In a CCTV Camera installation guide

+ the term is not in the PDF (it relates to another model)


What about our software options ?

They will check with screenshots when the

document is published


It also applies to index terms

And others such as Glossary terms, system output, User Input…


A better way to do it

Upfront control:

Dita Files

Extract

tagged

terms

Source Target

To define a new document, enter the name in {1}Search by Name{2}, and click {3}Add New{4}.


Key terms management

Term Base

Missing?

Alert !

Pre-translation or guidance:

What about quality assurance?

Our ICR will check once the document

is published


Quality assurance Make sure 100% of the deliveries are

technically correct – Comply with the DTD and the structure

– Upload correctly in your CCMS

Provide your Reviewer with the best solution The review can be done in full context prior to the upload in the CCMS


Translates DITA content with TMs

Translator Technical Writer

Reviews and annotates the

PDF

Check Changes

Approves in CCMS

Documentation Manager

In-Country Reviewer

Publishes from CCMS

Published PDF

Updates the target Topics

Annotated PDF

Updates the TM

Annotated PDF

Publishes from CCMS

Published PDF

Checks TMs?


days 12

-67%

Translates DITA content with TMs

Translator Documentation Manager

Technical Writer

In-Country Reviewer

Reviews and updates

Approves in CCMS

Check Changes

notification

2567

-84%


Full context review

Web browser access

Bilingual display

Focus on what is to be reviewed

Prevent changes in the rest


Features:

Correction of translations

Communication between reviewer and translator using the Comments window

Classification of linguistic issues


And track Service Levels…

Keep a simple quality model


My turn to ask questions. Have you resolved the

issue with screenshots ?

Issue? Screenshots…?


Screenshots Screenshot management can be time consuming and costly…

1) If you want to keep them in English…

Or if the product is not localized


Screenshots

You can also « draw » the screenshots in a vectorial format (SVG)

The UI terms are translated using the actual Software strings from the Term Base

And what happens when the software UI is updated

in a local language?

????


That’s given me an idea… Single Sourcing…

?????


UI Single Sourcing


UI table

Software

Documentation

You know what? We’d better look for a DITA

LSP

Yes but there are not too many…

Maybe at Lavacon Dublin !



Amanda , Can we talk about

DITA for my training content?

Atsuko, that is another story.

www.whp.net

[email protected]

+33 4 93 00 13 07 Skype dominique.trouche.whp

mailto:[email protected]

Cascading translation memory

Source Target

Source string

Product A

Product B

Legacy TM

Source Proposed Target

Source string Target String?

Source Proposed Target

Source string Target String

Business

DITA and Localization: Bringing the Best Together