Hi Asgeir,
I agree with Rodolfo that multiple <file> elements are important (or to put it more strongly, "critical"). Rodolfo's 1) thru 4) use cases list looks bullet-proof to me.
Of your two proposals, the first, for me, weakens XLIFF's utility. But the second one seems like it could add value:
> <xliff>
> <header>
> // workflow data
> // tool information
> // other meta-data relating to the whole container
> </header>
> <files>
> <file original='myfile.txt'>..</file>
> </files>
> </xliff>
With my XML Information Architect hat on, I would suggest that the proposed <header> element could be useful, but I'd pick a better name (since <header> is already a (useful) child of <file>, and <header> as a child of <xliff>, would be used for a different purpose).
And the <files> wrapper element might be redundant if its utility could be covered in the proposed <header> element.
Also, to answer your question:
> Do any of you know of tools making use of multiple
> files at all within a single XLIFF container?
My open source XLIFF/DITA Roundtrip tool uses multiple <file> elements within a single XLIFF file to encapsulate all the topics referenced by a DITA map (i.e., Rodolfo's 2) item), FWIW.
Thanks,
Bryan
-----Original Message-----
From: Rodolfo M. Raya [mailto:]
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 5:28 AM
To:
Subject: RE: [xliff] XLIFF 2.0 and multiple <file> elements
Hi Asgeir,
Multiple <file> elements are important.
1) A .docx file can contain several XML documents with translatable text. Having multiple <file> elements lets you create a single XLIFF from a single .docx
2) A DITA map contains references to multiple DITA topics. You can generate a single XLIFF from a DITA map and include all topics that contain referenced text.
3) You can generate a single XLIFF file from all .properties files in a Java project. Dealing with a unified XLIFF is easier than dealing with 40 individual files.
4) You can create a single XLIFF from all HTML files of a web site, keeping each of them in a separate <file> element.
My tools have been using multiple <file> elements without needing additional metadata since 2002.
Regards,
Rodolfo
--
Rodolfo M. Raya <>
Maxprograms http://www.maxprograms.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Asgeir Frimannsson [mailto:]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 9:05 AM
> To: xliff
> Subject: [xliff] XLIFF 2.0 and multiple <file> elements
>
> Hi TC members,
>
> I see little benefit to having multiple <file> elements within a single XLIFF
> container unless there is some higher level data above the <file> elements
> common to all <file>s. Do any of you know of tools making use of multiple
> files at all within a single XLIFF container?
>
> I do see a benefit if we have some common data shared between the
> various file-level resources within the container.
>
> Our current 1.2 model is something like:
>
> <xliff>
> <file original='myfile.txt'>
> <header> .. </header>
> <body> .. </body>
> </file>
> ...
> <file>...</file>
> </xliff>
>
> I suggest we either go to a model where <xliff> becomes the 'file-level'
> element, for example:
>
> <xliff original='myfile.txt'>
> <header> .. </header>
> <body> .. </body>
> </xliff>
>
> or, we use <xliff> as a richer container with meta data, for example:
>
> <xliff>
> <header>
> // workflow data
> // tool information
> // other meta-data relating to the whole container
> </header>
> <files>
> <file original='myfile.txt'>..</file>
> </files>
> </xliff>
>
> I'll put in a feature page on the wiki for this if there's interest in the
> committee on something like this, so please reply to this thread if you have
> any input.
>
> cheers,
> asgeir
>
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