7.5 Translation management import/export

7.5.1 Introduction

Translation management export/import is an alternative export/import, with a different format and algorithm, for the purpose of exchanging documents with external translators (translation agencies).

This alternative export/import is implemented by the same tools as the normal export/import (activated by the "-t tm" switch). It supports most of the same configuration options.

The alternative export/import not only differs in format, but also in behavior. Here are some of the important features and differences:

• the format consists of a flat set of ".xml" files. The problem with the default export format is that the documents are identified by directory names, and the content of documents is spread out over multiple files: one for the non-binary data, and one for each part. These files don't have extensions either. In the TM format, there is only one file per document: the content of the parts (as long as it's XML) is embedded within the main ".xml" file. For fields, only string fields (without selection list) are exported. It does not make much sense to translate date fields etc.

• when importing, the data should not be loaded into the same language version as exported, but in another language version

• when importing, documents are only updated with the data present in the import files. Fields, parts and other items that are missing in the import data are not assumed to be deleted (as in the normal import), but only to be missing.

• some fields and parts should be the same in all language variants. Since the concept of “cross-language” fields and parts does not exist in Daisy, these currently have to be synced manually. The TM import tool allows to let these fields be synced upon import.

• on import, the “synced with” version attribute (this is part of the standard Daisy document model) is set to the exported language version.