XLIFF
Description
In the diverse landscape of global content, translators often face a "Tower of Babel" problem – not just with languages, but with file formats. A website might be built in HTML or PHP; a mobile app in Android XML or Strings (.strings for iOS); a technical manual in DITA or FrameMaker. Asking a linguist to translate these native files directly is risky.
XLIFF solves this by extracting the translatable text from the original source file and wrapping it in a standardized XML structure. The original file (the "skeleton") is kept safe, while the text travels through the translation workflow in the XLIFF container. This container holds not just the source content, but also crucial metadata: the target language translation, workflow status, match rates from translation memory (TM) and context notes for the linguist. Once the translation is complete, the XLIFF is "converted back" to recreate the native file in the target language. For global enterprises, XLIFF is the invisible backbone of the localization supply chain, enabling continuous localization across disparate technologies.
Example use cases
- Software: Extracting UI strings from complex code files so linguists can translate without breaking code.
- Interoperability: Moving translation projects between different CAT tools while preserving segmentation.
- Websites: Converting HTML or CMS exports into XLIFF for translation.
- Delivery: Automating the exchange of strings between a developer's code repository and a translation platform.
- Review: Carrying metadata within the XLIFF file to help translators understand context.
Key benefits
RWS perspective
At RWS, we view XLIFF as the essential currency of the localization industry. Our technology philosophy is built on openness and interoperability, and XLIFF is central to that vision.
Trados, our market-leading translation platform, offers robust support for XLIFF. We don't just read the files; we optimize them. Our filters allow users to customize how XLIFF content is processed – defining what should be translated, what should be protected and how tags should be handled. Furthermore, our software localization tools like Passolo leverage XLIFF to bridge the gap between software engineering and linguistic excellence.