The XML Localization Interchange File Format (XLIFF) is a standardized document used for localization.
Tip: XLIFF packages are useful for the localization of small publications and for projects that can be completed by one translator.
Package Contents
An XLIFF package can contain the following resources:
Note: Only translatable elements are included in the package. This means that elements with the translate attribute set to no are not included in the packages.
XLF File
A file that contains all the DITA content to be localized for a particular project. The name of the file indicates the target language, for example, pl=Polish and fr-ca=Canadian French. Depending on how many locales, that is target languages, you select when creating your XLIFF Package, it can contain one or more XLF files.
Note: The package contains complete text content from the dependencies of the map, including resource-only topics. In other words, the content added with content references (conref) or content key references (conkeyref) is localized.
Important: The localization provider should never modify the content of source elements inside the XLF file. Instead they should modify the content of target elements to provide their localization.
Also, they should never modify the name of the XLF file. If they modify either source elements or the XLF file name, when loading the XLIFF Package back to Heretto CCMS, Heretto CCMS will show errors since it no longer is able to link the source text with the target text content correctly.
Reference File
A published map, for example, localization-reference.pdf.
Remember: To add a reference file to the localization job, you must publish a map before creating the localization job. We recommend including a reference file in localization packages and instructing the localization provider on where to find it.
Project Notes
Notes that you add when you create a localization job. Project notes are useful to share information with the localization provider.
Remember: Always ask the localization provider to read the project-notes.txt file included in the package. Otherwise, they may ignore it.
Localize Content with an XLIFF Package
XLIFF packages contain only textual content.
Tip: If you want to localize both the textual content and media content, you can
use an XLIFF package and a media package. Consider using a source package for
localization.
Set the source language for the DITA content that you want to localize.
Recommended: Publish the reference content.
Remember: While publishing, set the locale option to the source language.
This process covers both the textual localization with the use of an XLIFF package
and the optional media localization with the use of a media package.
Create an XLIFF package for a map that includes one XLF file with all your content for that map. Only one XLF file is created for each localization job, regardless of how many files are included in your map. The XLIFF Package contains no media files, so if your map contains media files that require localization, make sure to create a Media Package for your map and send it to the localization provider.
Create an XLIFF Package for a map by doing one of the following:
Option
Description
Recommended: Create the XLIFF Package
for a released map:
In the content library, right-click the map and select Releases.
In the Releases tab, go to the release you want to
localize and click Localize.
Create the XLIFF Package for a branched map:
From the Branch drop-down menu, select the branch that
contains the map you want to localize.
In the content library, right-click the map and select Localization Jobs.
Create the XLIFF
Package for a standard map:
In the content library, right-click the map and select Localization Jobs.
From the New Localization Job drop-down menu, select
XLIFF Package, then
click Go.
In the localization
manager, configure and save your localization
job:
In the Project Notes field, enter information about the project, including information for the
localization provider.
This information will be added to the XLIFF Package in the
project-notes.txt file.
In the Manager field,
leave your email address or change it to a different person.
In the Manager field,
you can add any string of characters. However, we recommend that you use it
to add an email address to a Heretto CCMS
user who is responsible for the localization job. As a result, your
localization provider will have this information in the
project-notes.txt file in the XLIFF Package.
In the Pick Target Locales field,
add one or more target languages.
Optional: Under Pick Reference Content to Include, select the
reference content you created earlier.
Even though this step is optional, we recommend always adding reference
content, for example a PDF or HTML output. It will be added to your XLIFF
package in a separate folder.
Click Save.
Click Download Localization Package
and save the ZIP package to your computer.
A ZIP file named
companypackage
type-localization-job-number.zip,
for example herettoxliffpackage-localization-job-101.zip, is
saved to your computer. The ZIP file contains the following elements: where:
localization-reference-pdf folder contains the
reference PDF
pl-_-.xlf is the XLF file to which content in the
target language will be added in the
target elements
project-notes.txt contains project notes added as
part of this localization job
Complete one of the following actions:
If no media files, for example, diagrams or screenshots, associated with your map
require localization, send the ZIP file to your localization provider.
If needed, you can localize content in house instead of sending it to an external localization provider.
Save the ZIP file you received for localization to your computer and unzip it.
Important: Do not change the name of the folder to which you unzip the
file.
Open the unzipped XLIFF folder and read the project-notes.txt
file
The project-notes.txt file contains an email address of the
project manager and important project-related information.
Open the XLF file, for example pl-_-.xlf, and localize content that is in the target elements.
Important: Do not modify any content outside of the
target elements.
Tip: You can use free editors to open and edit XLIFF packages.
When you finish localizing content, save the XLF file to the original unzipped folder
under the original file
names and extensions.
Zip the localized XLIFF Package by right-clicking it and compressing it to a ZIP
file.
Important: The new ZIP file must be named exactly the same as the
original ZIP file.
Send the localized ZIP file back to the project manager or upload it to Heretto CCMS.
Upload the Localized XLIFF Package
Upload the XLIFF file containing the localized target elements.
When your localization provider has localized your content, they send you an identical XLIFF
ZIP file with the same content. The only difference is that the target
elements of the XLF file now contain localized content. Load the ZIP file to Heretto CCMS and verify the localization.
Important: Do not rename the XLF file or the XLIFF ZIP files of localized
content. Heretto CCMS associates localization
packages with localization jobs. Both file names must remain the same as the original
file names of the localization job you created for Heretto CCMS to correctly associate the localization
job and package.
Upload localized content for a map by doing one of the following:
Option
Description
Recommended: Upload localized content for a released map:
In the content library, right-click the map and select Releases.
In the Releases tab, go to the release for which
you want to upload content and click Localize.
Upload localized content for a branched map:
From the Branch drop-down menu, select the branch that contains the map you want to upload.
In the content library, right-click the map and click Localization Jobs.
Upload localized
content for a standard map:
In the content library, right-click the map and click Localization Jobs.
In the Localization Jobs in
Progress tab, click the localization
job for which you want to upload localized content.
You can easily identify the correct localization job by using the localization job
number that you can see in both the ZIP file name and the Localization Jobs in
Progress tab.
Click Upload Localized Content
and, in the Upload window,
upload the ZIP file with localized content.
Go back to the localization
manager and open the Available Localizations tab to verify if all files associated
with your map are loaded to Heretto CCMS.
After you load your XLIFF ZIP file, all your DITA files should show as
Current. If there are any media files associated
with your map, at this point they will show as
Unavailable because you haven't loaded the
Media Package for the map yet.
Now you can either load your media content or publish the localized content.
Upload the Localized Media Package
Upload your localized media ZIP file. When your localization provider is done localizing your content, they send you an
identical media ZIP file with the same content you originally provided. The only difference is that the media files in the target language folder(s) are now localized. Load the ZIP file to
Heretto CCMS and
verify that the localization is complete.
Upload localized content for a map by doing one of the following:
Option
Description
Recommended: Upload localized content for a released map:
In the content library, right-click the map and select Releases.
In the Releases tab, go to the release for which
you want to upload content and click Localize.
Upload localized content for a branched map:
From the Branch drop-down menu, select the branch that contains the map you want to upload.
In the content library, right-click the map and click Localization Jobs.
Upload localized
content for a standard map:
In the content library, right-click the map and click Localization Jobs.
In the Localization Jobs in
Progress tab, select the
localization job you want to upload localized content for.
You can easily identify the correct localization job by using the
localization job number that you can see in both the ZIP file
name and the Localization Jobs in
Progress tab.
Click Upload Localized Content
and, in the Upload window,
upload the ZIP file with localized content.
In the localization
manager, click show resources and verify if all files associated with your map are uploaded to
Heretto CCMS.
After you upload your media ZIP file, all your media files should
show as Current.
Your localized DITA content is now uploaded to Heretto CCMS.
