DITA translatability best practices
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Transcript of DITA translatability best practices
DITA translatability best practices
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Brought to you by
@Fantpmas from
@YamagataEurope
Yamagata Europe
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We write We translate We do the layout We print We package & ship We create software
I support
I know XML
I know RegEx
I know tools
I manage QA Distiller
I troubleshoot
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They're in there for a friggin reason
Use DITA's internationalisation attributes
xml:lang
dir
translate
Use the translate attribute to make everyone
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YES = YES NO = NO
Don't mention <term translate="no">Project X</term> to my mom.
Use the xml:lang attribute to identify language
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<section id="Magritte" xml:lang="fr"> <title>Consignes de sécurité</title>
<p id="A">Danger, ceci n'est pas une pipe</p>
Use the dir attribute for LTR/RTL content
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The title is "<term dir="rtl" xml:lang="ar"> !مفتاح معايير الويب </term>" in Arabic.
Tag your terminology
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And I mean it!
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Important terminology is identified
Ability to lock / unlock terms
Automatic term extraction
Automatic quality control
Key benefits
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Click <uicontrol>Configure</uicontrol>.
Configure the options to your wish.
Press <uicontrol class="Windows">Select</uicontrol> to browse to the file.
Choose <uicontrol class ="QA Distiller">Select</uicontrol> to add a file.
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Use the conref attribute wisely
Or it will come back to haunt you
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Use conrefs for complete sentences
<result>The suspect is apprehended.</result> <postreq>
<note conref=”reuse.dita#reusablephrases/ReadRights”/> </postreq>
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Avoid using conrefs for common nouns
Using a <keyword conref=”tools.dita#tools/Crowbar”/>, remove the Dragon spacecraft from the ISS.
Adding <keyword conref=”servers.dita#servers/Fileserver”/>s is easy.
Big no no
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Resolve or flatten conrefs prior to translation
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Write stand-alone units of text
Not only great for re-use, but
Translators will you
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Traditional book order is gone
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Mind the spaces
Click·<uicontrol>Start·</uicontrol>to·shut·down.
Druk·op·<uicontrol>Start</uicontrol>om·af·te·sluiten.
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Provide reference material
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Do it for your own sanity
but also for the translators
Annotate where needed
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<!- - Some mumbo jumbo legacy code, don't touch or universe will implode - ->
<draft-comment author="EBP" disposition="completed">This section deals with our other top-secret project</draft-comment>
<note type="other">This stuff is important as this is the abstract sent to our CEO (and he has no sense of humour)</note>
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Conclusions
DITA provides excellent mechanisms to remove doubt
Be careful with conrefs
KISS