Glossary

100% match

A match that has a score of 100%. A score of 100% is always an exact match. However, an exact match might not be a 100% match (if the translation memory or translation unit is penalized, the score is reduced).

Activation certificate

A certificate created during offline activation.

Ad hoc scoping

A scoping process performed outside the context of a project. Ad hoc scoping allows for analysis and comparison of approaches before you create a project.

AIS context

The AIS path plus the name of the asset.

AIS path

Analogous to file path for files, defines a location in a WorldServer Asset Interface System (AIS). An AIS path contains the complete hierarchy of folders from the mount name to the asset.

Alignment

The creation of translation units (TUs) by examining and segmenting the source and corresponding target texts of previously translated content. The alignment process starts with completed translations. It divides the source and target texts into segments, attempting to determine which segments belong together in order to build an aligned translation memory from the content. The resulting translation memory can be used for future translations.

translation alignment

Asset

Content that can be translated. Contrast to reference content or comments. See item category.

translatable

translatable item

Asset Interface System

The framework that WorldServer uses to access content. The AIS provides access that is independent of the repository of the content: file system, database, content management system, and so on.

AIS

Auto-localize

The process of applying automatic localization.

Automated translation

Translation without human interaction. Sometimes called machine translation.

machine translation

AT

MT

Automatic localization

The process by which the software can automatically change the format of numbers, dates and times to suit the target language. For example, when translating English to French, a translation editor can replace the decimal point used in English in 3.141 with a comma as used in French, to produce 3,141. Automatic localization is available if the translation memory (TM) supports it for the TM's recognized tokens. TMS does not apply automatic localization. In SDL Trados Studio and TM Server, automatic localization settings are specified per project for each language pair.

Auto-translated segment

A segment that WorldServer translates automatically, because the source and target texts are identical.

Auto-translation

The process by which translations are generated automatically from source content that conforms to established content patterns.

Bilingual Review document

For reviewers who do not have SDL Trados Studio or SDL WorldServer installed, you can export your document to a bilingual *.docx format which can be opened and reviewed in Microsoft Word. The reviewed document can then be imported back into Trados Studio or WorldServer with the updated content.

Browser Workbench

A WorldServer program that provides a web interface for working with translatable items and tasks.

Browser-based editor

An editor that runs within a web browser, and so does not require a lengthy local installation procedure on the local computer. SDL Online Editor is a browser-based translation editor, in contrast to the translation editor in SDL Trados Studio, which is a desktop editor.

online editor

Certificate

A set of letters or numbers generated by the Licenses section of SDL Account which is used to activate a product offline. You need the activation code and installation ID to generate a certificate. A certificate is either an activation certificate or a deactivation certificate.

Character entity reference

In HTML, XML or SGML a symbolic name for characters. Character entity references start with an ampersand and end with a semi-colon. In between the letters represent the character. For example a non-breaking space is represented by an ampersand followed by the letters nbsp, followed by a semi-colon. See also numeric character reference.

character entity

Compound term

A term consisting of more than one word, for example "local area network".

multi-word units

multiple word terms

Concordance match

The result of a concordance search that matches all words in the search phrase, but not necessarily in the same order as in the phrase. The translator can pick a match from the list of matches. See also in-order concordance match.

Concordance search

A search through a translation memory (TM) for words or fragments of text within translation units. Contrast with the more common use of a TM, which is to match a whole segment of text at a time. A concordance search is only performed when requested by a user.

Connector

In WorldServer, the interface between an installation of an Asset Interface System and a content repository. WorldServer provides many out-of-the-box connectors to systems such as EMC, Documentum and Interwoven TeamSite.

Content repository

A folder, file, database or other holder of content.

Context match

A match that takes into account the context within which the match occurs. Usually this means surrounding segments. A context match is even more likely to be correct than a 100% match of a segment. There are different kinds of context match, depending on which aspects of context are taken into account (for example, formatting).

Context view

A near-final form of preview of a translation.

Conversion program

A software program that converts content from its native format to an intermediate format more suitable for translation. SDL translation programs, such as SDL Trados Studio, run a convertor on each translatable item to convert the contents from native format (for example Microsoft Word) to *.sdlxliff format.

convertor

Cost model

Contains the unit data to calculate the translation cost for a defined vendor to translate text for a target locale. A cost model reflects the way that translators charge. For example, it contains different prices for different types of translations. Access to SDL cost models are under access control.

Custom field template

See field template.

Deactivate

The opposite (antonym) of activate, activation.

deactivation

Deactivation certificate

A certificate created during offline deactivation. See certificate.

Draft

The translation status appropriate for a translation that a translator has started but has not finished. Typically, if a segment has a fuzzy match in the TM, the translation software inserts the TM translation into the target segment, and marks the segment as draft.

DTD

Document Type Definition. A text file that defines the structure, elements and conventions to which an SGML, XML or HTML document must conform. The DTD file is separate from the document it defines. An example of a widely used DTD is the HTML 4.0 DTD, used to define HTML 4.0 documents.

Document Type Definition

Encoding (character encoding)

A set of rules for representing characters in digital form. One common form of character encoding is Unicode.

Exact match

A match in all aspects of text: characters, punctuation and formatting. In an exact match, the text surrounding the source text might be different from the text surrounding the entry in a translation memory (by contrast, a context match requires the same surrounding text.)

File

A synonym for a translatable file while it is in a translation editor.

document

File category

See item category.

File path

The name of the file plus the directory path to the file.

File-based TM

A translation memory (TM) that is stored in a file and can be accessed by any user that has access to the file. Contrast to server-based TM.

file-based translation memory

File type

WorldServer, Trados GroupShare, Trados Studio: A program that extracts translatable content from a particular file format, segments the extracted content, and uses the segments to produce a translatable item in a form such as an *.sdlxliff file. The translatable item can be presented to a translation memory and translated using a translation editor. Users of SDL programs can configure file types and create new ones. Typically, the purpose of configuring a file type is to allow or disallow translation of some content.

file filter

Fragment alignment

This is a fine-grained alignment that takes place at a sub-segment level. Unlike the normal alignment that only takes place at a segment level, with fragment alignment, translated text fragments are matched together with their source counterpart to better leverage the previously translated content.

Fragment match

This is a fine-grained alignment that takes place at a sub-segment level. Unlike the normal alignment that only takes place at a segment level, translated text fragments are matched together with their source counterpart to better leverage the previously translated content.

Fuzzy band

A range for a fuzzy match, for example, 75% to 84%. In SDL TM Server, there is one set of fuzzy bands for all languages in a project.

Fuzzy index

An index that allows you to find misspelled or transposed terms during a fuzzy search or wildcard search.

Fuzzy match

A match that is less than 100%. A fuzzy match has a percentage, for example, it is a 75% match, or a 90% match. For a translator, translating a segment that has a fuzzy match is typically easier than translating a segment that has no match, but is more difficult than translating an exact match. A fuzzy match requires more effort and probably needs editing.

fuzzy-match value

match value

Fuzzy match threshold

The lowest percentage of a match for the matching text to be used as a fuzzy match. If the match is less than this percentage (which is typically about 75%), then there is no fuzzy match for the text.

Fuzzy match value

See fuzzy match.

Fuzzy search

A type of search by which the application can find terms that are similar or identical to the search text.

In-context exact match

A type of exact match that is also a complete context match. If necessary, WorldServer ranks multiple possible matches to find the most exact match, based on the most complete context matching.

ICE match

Inline tag

A markup tag that forms part of a segment. Contrast with structure tag. Common uses of inline tags are to format text, to describe special characters, or to reference an image or other hyperlink. Formatting tags and hyperlinks come in tag pairs. Special character tags and reference tags are usually standalone tags.

In-order concordance match

A concordance match that contains all words in the same order within the phrase.

Installation ID

A unique code which is product and computer specific. This means that a different product on the same computer will produce a different installation code, and vice versa. This code is used when generating activation or deactivation certificates using SafeNet License Manager or within the Licenses section of SDL Account.

Item

Corresponds to one file, document or other text item that is being translated using desktop translation software, or that accompanies the translatable content. See also, item category. The source of an item is a file, database record, or some other data form. A translatable item needs to be converted into a format such as .sdlxliff before a translator can use a translation editor to translate the content.

Item category

An item is categorized to show how it is used in the translation process. One categorization of items is: Translatable (the item is to be translated), Localizable (to be translated outside the application), Reference (for reference only), Instruction (contains instructions for the translator).

Language pair

A source language and a target language, for example English to French, or English (GB) to French (Swiss). A language pair has direction: English to French is not the same as French to English.

Language resource

Language resources are a set of settings in a translation memory. Each language resource is a list of one of the following: abbreviations, ordinal followers, segmentation rules, variables

Language variant

A specific form of a language used in a culture, for example German is a language (code de), and German as used in Austria is a language variant (code de-AT).

sublanguage

Leverage level

The extent to which content can be translated against a TM. The higher the leverage level, the more the TM content is reusable. Leverage levels are generally categorized as High: ICE, SPICE; Medium: exact, 100%; Low: interval fuzzy ranges.

leverage

Local termbase

Type of termbase that is typically used in a single-user setup where data is stored on the local computer. Use SDL MultiTerm to create local termbases. See also Remote termbase.

Local translation memory

A translation memory (TM) that is stored on the translator's computer. Usually a local TM can only be used by one user at a time. Compare to server-based translation memory.

local TM

Locale

A geopolitical area. In a computer: the settings that define a language, country and other geopolitical variants. Also the two-or four-letter language code used to identify a language or language and language variant. The definition of a culture includes the language variant and the default encoding used to store content in this language (for example, UTF-8).

culture

Main translation memory

A translation memory that is stored on the application database server and is available for all projects. Contrast with project TM.

main TM

Markup

Content in a translatable item that should not be exposed to the translator for translation. This includes layout and formatting information, style definitions, and font information. Markup is almost always coded in the form of markup tags. Embeddable markup is equivalent to an inline tag; non-embeddable markup is equivalent to a structure tag.

Match

An equivalence between two segments of text, usually between a segment of presented text and a source segment in a translation memory. A match has a match score, which is between the fuzzy match threshold and 100%.

Match (filters)

In relation to filters: an equivalence between an entry (for example, a term in a termbase or a translation unit in a translation memory) and a filter rule. Unlike text matches, a filter match does not have a score.

Match band

Segments that are in the same match band have the same unit rates for the purposes of estimating translation time and costs. The match band of a segment depends on the source and target language, and on the quality of match that is found (for example the percentage match in a fuzzy match). Only segments that have a match in a translation memory are classified into match bands.

Match lookup

The process in which presented text is compared with translation units in a TM.

leveraging

Match score

A percentage value that describes the level of equivalence in a match.

Merge

To join two adjacent segments into a single segment.

Mount

A top level folder in the Asset Interface System (AIS) that defines the connection point between AIS and a content repository. Analogous to the term mount in UNIX.

Not translated

A translation status: no translation has been done on the segment. Typically this means that the segment has no translation in the TM, and the translator has not yet produced any translation.

Number

If number recognition is enabled for a TM, the TM recognizes a number in the source text as a token. If a segment of presented text matches a translation unit in the TM, except for the value of a number, the TM registers an exact match. For example, if the TM has 'Jane has 5 apples', then it finds an exact match for the presented text 'Jane has 99 apples'. If the TM settings allow it, the translation editor might also auto-localize numbers.

Numeric character reference

In HTML, a numeric representation for characters, given by a number surrounded by an ampersand and a semi-colon. For example an ampersand followed by the characters #160 followed by a semi-colon represents a non-breaking space. See also, character entity reference.

Package

A collection of files packaged together and sent to a user or another system. The files in any one package belong to the same project. Examples of packages are project package and return package.

Path name

The full path name is the name of the file plus the directory path to the file.

Path normalization

To normalize a path is to override the default AIS context for an asset. By default each asset has its own AIS context. When you create a normalized path, you force different assets to have the same AIS context, so different assets can share their translation units in a TM. This is significant when you do in-context matches.

Penalize

To apply a penalty score. You can penalize translation memories and translation units.

Penalty

A percentage taken away from the score of a match between a translation unit and source text segments. SDL Trados Studio can apply penalties for a variety of conditions: for example a penalty for the translation unit or translation memory used for the match, for formatting differences, and so on. Penalties are specified as project settings.

penalty score

Permission

A right that a user or program has to access an application program, data, files or other resource. Common permissions (access rights) are read, write, delete. Which permissions are required for certain activities on a resource is determined by the software. In SDL TM Server, a user's permissions to a resource are granted by the user's role in a resource library, as specified in an applicable membership list.

access right

Placeholder

A representation of a markup tag (not the tag itself. For example, if text contains markup tags <I>...</I>, WorldServer replaces the tags with placeholders: {1}...{2}. The placeholders convey the position of the markup tags without presenting the information for translation.

Placeholder tag

A markup tag that is inline but, unlike most inline tags, is not a formatting tag. Often a placeholder tag is standalone , for example the img tag.

Plug-in

Software that adds functionality, for example to an application. Users or third parties can create plug-ins for SDL TM Server and for WorldServer by using the SDK.

Preview

A representation of a file in translation that shows how the file will appear after translation. There can be different levels of preview, for example Raw preview (showing the data), Draft preview (showing the result as rendered, but not as published), Standard preview (showing the result as it will be generated).

Project

A project contains a collection of source language files, and associated files (resource files), which SDL TM Server manages as a unit. All files in the same project have the same source language, but can be translated to multiple languages. Unit costs for translation are defined per project, for each target language. Projects have a life-cycle. They go through project stages in a workflow.

Project folder

The Windows folder that holds all the project details, assets and working files.

Project package

A collection of the files needed for a translation, including the translatable items, translation memories, termbases, and instructions, packaged together in a form that can be sent to a user or another system as part of a translation project. (Usually this means they are put in a zip file.) All the files in one project package belong to the same project. All SDL translation applications allow a project manager to export and import project packages.

Project template

A complete set of project settings, which can be applied as the default settings when creating a project.

Quality model

A set of rules that categorizes translation errors to produce quantifiable measures based on the quality of a translation.

Regular expression

A way of describing a pattern of text, for example: "any five letter word that starts with a capital letter, and ends with a digit". Regular expressions can specify sophisticated text patterns. For this reason they are used to specify segmentation rules. Regular expressions are widely used and are well documented. See, for example, Regular expression.

Repair

WorldServer tries to improve fuzzy matches by adjusting the presented text, for example by changing punctuation or capitalization. Such an adjustment is called a repair. By using repairs, WorldServer can improve the score of a match (even up to 100%). Repairs are specified for each language pair. See also, penalize.

Repeated segment

The first occurrence of a segment that has repetitions.

Repetition

An occurrence of a segment that has been translated previously. Usually the term refers to repetitions within one translatable item, but sometimes it can be used to refer to repetitions across a number of items.

Return package

A package that a member of a project sends to the project manager on completion of translation. See also project package.

Scoping

The process of comparing content to be translated with past translations, to assess the remaining translation cost and effort.

SDL Account

SDL Account is SDL's web portal where you can:
  • purchase and download SDL software
  • access licenses for certain products
  • purchase and access SDL Support services
  • place and view orders
  • request and view sales quotations
  • purchase and view SDL Certification and Training

SDL WorldServer launcher

WorldServer launcher for Windows is an application provided with WorldServer that allows you to use third-party applications to edit translatable items.

launcher

SDLXLIFF

*.Sdlxliff is an XLIFF format, compliant with XLIFF version 1.2.

SDL has added some standards compliant proprietary extensions.

When you add a translatable item to a project in SDL Trados Studio, Trados Studio converts the item into an *.sdlxliff format file, and preforms all subsequent translation work on the *.sdlxliff file. For example, when you use a Translation Editor, you edit an *.sdlxliff file, and you save the result also as an *.sdlxliff file. The *.sdlxliff file has the same name as the source item but with an added file extension .sdlxliff.

At the end of the project, or when the user generates a final format for review, the translated text is extracted and converted to the destination file format. Usually, the *.sdlxliff working file is kept intact.

Segment

Text that is a single translation unit for the purposes of finding a match in a translation memory. Usually a segment corresponds to a sentence. Translation memories store translations by segment, and segments are also the unit for matching presented text with stored translations. In a translation editor, each segment is displayed on a separate row.

Segment identifier

In WorldServer, a label that defines the usage context in which a segment is to be translated. Applying a SID to a segment identifies the context for the segment. By default, SID support is enabled in WorldServer, though it cannot be used without an installed SID-based file type.

SID

Segment preferred in-context exact (SPICE) match

An ICE match that is found by using the SID to define the usage context. SID must be enabled in WorldServer to find SPICE matches.

SPICE match

SID preferred ICE match

Segmentation

The process of dividing text (usually source text) into segments.

Server-based TM

A translation memory (TM) that is stored on a TM server. A server-based TM can be used concurrently by more than one user. Compare to local TM.

server-based translation memory

Shingle

A sequence of words ('word run') taken from reference text, for example, 'the cat sat'. In WorldServer, fuzzy matching uses shingles to select match candidates instead of using just the words that are in common.

Software development kit

A defined and documented set of application programming interfaces (API) for extending or interacting with software. WorldServer, SDL TM Server and SDL Project Server have published SDKs.

SDK

Source

Descriptive of the original, untranslated item. For example: source content, source language, source segment, source text. Contrast with target. See also, language pair.

Split

To divide, usually applied to a segment. Some applications allow you to split segments. This can be useful during the translation process to facilitate the translation. WorldServer can also automatically split segments. It does this to look for higher quality matches, and so increase the leverage of the translation memory. Contrast with merge.

Standalone tag

markup tag that can legitimately exist without another closing tag, for example a break tag in HTML. Contrast with tag pair.

Stem

The common root form of a number of words. For example go, going, gone all have the same stem, go. A translation memory can use stems to find matching entries containing word variations. (Verb) To find the stem of a number of words. Stemming can generate a larger number of match hits.

String

The smallest translatable unit of text within a source file is a string. All strings are display and can be edited in the string list window. Each string is assigned to a resource. Strings in a source string list are also called source strings whereas strings in a translation list are referred to as translation string.

Structure tag

A markup tag that exists between segments, and often defines a segment break. Examples are: line break tag, table tag. Contrast with inline tag.

Tag

A keyword assigned to a portion of text, used to specify text attributes (for example bold format), or text flow attributes (for example a page break). Tags can be categorized into the following, overlapping, categories: Inline or structure; Standalone or one of a tag pair; Translatable or non-translatable.

markup tag

Tag pair

A matching pair of markup tags. Most markup tags come as a tag pair: one opening tag and its matching closing tag, for example <b> to represent the start of bold text, and </b> to represent the end of bold text. Contrast with standalone tag.

Target

Descriptive of the translated or destination item, for example: target content, target language, target segment. Contrast with source. See also, language pair.

Target file

A target file is the localized version of a source file. Generally, this is a copy of the source file in which all the resources and strings have been translated to a target language.

Target language

Refers to the language a project is to be translated to. For example, if your project is to translate a manual from English to Spanish, Spanish is the target language.

Target language term

A translation of the search term in the currently selected target language. You can apply special formatting and display properties to target language terms and other target language information.

Target term

First equivalent of the search term in the currently selected target language.

TMX

TMX (TM exchange) is an industry standard format for the exchange of translation memories. SDL TM Server can import a translation memory that is in TMX format, and can export its translation memories into TMX format files.

Translation Memory Exchange

Token

A token corresponds to a word, or short sequence of words and punctuation marks, in translatable text. When a translation memory (TM) is applied to source text, the TM analyzes the source into tokens. This analysis is independent of the analysis into segments. You can configure a TM to recognize text patterns as single tokens. For example, you can provide an expression that provides a definition of the patterns of text for dates. Such text patterns are called recognized tokens. You can provide rules for translating recognized tokens.

Translation editor

An editor that enables translators to translate bilingual files, such as .sdlxliff files.

Translation kit

A collection of the files needed for a translation, including the translatable items, translation memories, termbases, and instructions, packaged together in a form that can be sent to a user or another system as part of a translation project. WorldServer translation kits can be exported as compressed files. All the files in one kit belong to the same project. Project managers can import and export kits individually, or as part of a project workflow. See also project package.

Translation memory

A translation memory (TM) is a file or database containing source language text segments and translated versions of the text segments. Each pair of source and translated segments is called a translation unit (TU). In a TM, the source language segments are all in one language. A TM may contain translations into many languages, but often has just one target language. A TM also maintains supplementary data for each TU, such as who created the TU, and when. This data is held in fields. A user can also add user defined data to TUs. TMs allow translators to reuse translations, thus reducing translation time and effort, and increasing consistency.

TM

Translation status (confirmation level)

The status of review and approval that you can assign to a segment or to a document to indicate the degree of confidence that you have in the translation. The translation statuses of the segments in a document automatically update the translation statuses of the document. Not used in SDL TMS.

TTX

A file type that was used for TRADOS TagEditor files, and also the file name extension for those files.

TU

An entry in a translation memory (TM), consisting of a segment of source text, its translation text, and supplementary TM data such as translation date. In TMX, translation unit is equivalent to the element tu. (Less common) text which is a single unit for the purposes of matching, equivalent to segment.

translation unit

TM entry

Unicode

A standard for representing characters. It covers most of the world's written languages. A Unicode character is a character that has a Unicode representation.

Unix filter

A matching pair of markup tags. Most markup tags come as a tag pair: one opening tag and its matching closing tag, for example <b> to represent the start of bold text, and </b> to represent the end of bold text. Contrast with standalone tag. A program that processes an input data stream into an output data stream in some well-defined way. Hence, a program that converts a file from one data format to another data format.

Usage context

The usage context of a source segment is the other content that surrounds that segment. The surrounding text provides insight into the meaning of the segment. WorldServer considers the usage context when it searches for an ICE match for a segment.

UTF-8

An encoding for Unicode characters in one to four bytes. The number of bytes depends on the Unicode character. All the ASCII character codes are single byte UTF-8 codes.

Unicode Transformation Format - 8

Workflow

A model of the stages through which translatable items progress in the translation process.

XLIFF

XLIFF is an XML based file format, designed to be useful for translators.

Some of the features of an *.xliff file are:

  • It is a bilingual file: it holds the source and target language text.
  • It separates translatable and non-translatable content, for example it separates translatable text from formatting information.
  • It structures the translatable content into translatable segments, usually sentences.
  • It holds useful management information, such as the translation status of each segment.

XPath

A syntax for specifying locations in an XML document. It includes path expressions (analogous to file path expressions) and a number of built-in functions. XPath is an important part of XSLT.