Common Questions: Language Support in Arbortext

This week’s topic: Language support in Arbortext

XML publishing systems makes translation less expensive all-around. The biggest cost of translating content produced in traditional tools is the DTP that must be done on the content once it's been translated. Some languages switch orientation (R to L rather than L to R); some languages take up more space; and, some take up less. DTP is the biggest line item in translation costs for content created in traditional DTP tools.

With XML publishing, you get the separation of form from content, so you can send translated content through your localized stylesheets as easily as you send source languages through the stylesheet. As a result, you completely delete DTP costs from your translation bill.

If you've got a good component content management system, you also get the benefit of automation. Systems like Arbortext Content Manager can identify, package, and ship content that requires translation automatically to translation vendors. It can also receive and publish content automatically, on demand, or by states defined in the workflow as required by your business process.

With all the benefits that translation brings—and we've included a big list of related content in the list at the bottom of this post—language support is a big part of dynamic content creation and delivery systems.

Language support is summarized in the Matrix of supported languages and software features (i.e., Content, Spelling Dictionaries, Thesaurus, Print Hyphenation, Indexing, Localized User Interface, and Localized Online Help).

Today, we're answering some of the more common and general questions about Language support in Arbortext.

Question: Languages

Which languages does Arbortext support?

Answer:

At my last count, 42 languages were supported, but PTC adds more support all the time. Check the matrix of supported languages and software features (i.e., Content, Spelling Dictionaries, Thesaurus, Print Hyphenation, Indexing, Localized User Interface, and Localized Online Help).

Question: Index support

Does Arbortext Content Manager support the special cases for sorting indexing in Japanese and other languages?

Answer:

Yes.

If you also mean indexing like a DB indexes, search result indexes, or an Index like at the end of a book? Yes.

Question: Unicode

Is UNICODE supported?

Answer:

Yes

Question: UTF-8

Is UTF-8 supported?

Answer:

Yes, all parts of the XML standard are supported

Question: Automation with translation vendors

Can Arbortext Content Manager hand off source content components to an FTP site for translation?

Answer:

Yes

Question: Automation import from translation vendors

Can the translation vendor pick up the components, translate them, and then return them back to Arbortext Content Manager?

Answer:

Yes

Question: Automation and notification

Can Arbortext Content Manager automatically retrieve the translated content or can authors be notified of the availability of the translated content?

Answer:

Yes

Question: Support for TM tools

Can Arbortext Content Manager be integrated with one or more translation memory tools? Which one is already supported?

Answer:

Yes, any translation vendor who integrates with Arbortext

Question: Integration with Translation Editors

Is an integrated translation editor (preferably web-based) available that translators can use to compare and translate content?

Answer:

This is dependent on your translation vendor. Arbortext works with many different solutions.

Question: Terminology tools

Is a terminology check tool available that can edit in real time an author's content as s/he is working? This type of editor provides correct preferred terminology and can indicate if a similar sentence has already been written and queries whether or not she would like to use it (like systematic reuse)?

Answer:

This is dependent on your translation vendor. Arbortext works with many different solutions.

Question: Information Managment integration

Can Arbortext Content Manager hand content off to a translation information Management System?

Answer:

Yes.

You might also want to read more about the Data Merge feature

Question: "Mirror Images"

Does it support "mirror image" language versions? For example, some  systems make a mirror images of the source language (usually in English) and then create a version of the content for each language. The language version is sent out for translation either as a full content set or on a component-by-component basis. When the translated content is re-imported into the system, it is imported into the language-specific version. The translated component and source component are linked (parent/child relationship) so that when the source changes, the workflow triggers a translation change.

Answer:

Yes

Question: Implementing Multiple Languages in source XML

Does Arbortext Content Manager support derivative/filtered integration of language versions? Sometimes systems create derivative versions of the source component for the language, and integrate the translated component into the source component so that all language versions are contained within the same component. The component can then be filtered for publication. This can result in very "cluttered" component.

Answer:

Yes. How this is implemented is up to you and your business process and the configuration you specify (or don’t).

Question: Additional Content?

Does Arbortext add supplementary content to each component so that the content to be translated can be viewed in context?

Answer:

This is dependent on your translation vendor. Arbortext works with many different
solutions.

There are no under-the-cover, additional tags that the Arbortext solution inserts

Question: Content Validation

Is content validated after it has been translated?

Answer:

Yes, if this is set up.

This is dependent on your translation vendor. Arbortext works with many different solutions.

Question: Word Count

Does Arbortext Content Manager provide a mechanism for word count at both the object and job level so cost can be estimated?

Answer:

This is dependent on your translation vendor. Arbortext works with many different solutions.

You can do word count inside Arbortext Editor.