RE: [xliff] Segmentation as core or not

From
Helena S Chapman <>
Date
2011-11-02T14:07:35+00:00
ID
Thread
RE: [xliff] Segmentation as core or not
It almost read like what the localization
industry is used to call "segment" is really a "partition".
Basically something that have been cut, classified but could be further
divided or broken off into finer fragments? Since I have only been involved
in localization topic for the last 3-4 years, I am probably close to the
un-tainted eyes.

To me, a segment in the localization
world is something that usually have something to do with payment. That
is, even if one is paying a service by words, the cost of each word can
still be determined by the complexity of a segment. (e.g. length etc.)

From:      
 Yves Savourel <>

To:      
 Helena S Chapman/San
Jose/IBM@IBMUS

Cc:      
 <>

Date:      
 11/01/2011 11:02 PM

Subject:    
   RE: [xliff]
Segmentation as core or not

Hi Helena,

 

I guess theoretically
it would be possible to have an entire chapter in one “part”. But the
extraction tools would not likely do that. Even when there is no sentence-based
segmentation the extractors do break down the content into much smaller
parts; typically the equivalent of paragraphs for document-type files,
or strings for UI-type file.

 

Actually quite a few
tools, especially for software, don’t go beyond that type of segmentation.
If you look at many tools for PO files, or Java properties files for examples:
Their entries are not often sentence-segmented. And they create TMX files
where the entries are called “segments”.

 

Others may correct me,
but I think calling those extracted parts “segments” is simply a relatively
common practice.

 

Personally I think the
important thing is to be very clear on what those “part” are, regardless
how we end up calling the elements. That said we should obviously pick
a name that is not too confusing.

It seems “segment”
has been used for a while to mean both the container of something un-segmented
and segmented (see for example TMX’s <seg>), but maybe I’ve been
too deep in TMX/XLIFF/etc. for too long to see the world with un-tainted
eyes :)

 

Hope this helps,

-yves

 

 

From: Helena S Chapman [mailto:]

Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 7:52 PM

To: Yves Savourel

Cc: 

Subject: Re: [xliff] Segmentation as core or not

 

Yves, I want to make sure I understand your
view point. Based on what you suggested, it is possible for one to have
an entire chapter or book as a single *part* when pass it around in an
XLIFF file? If so, why call it a segment? 

<unit id='1'>

<part>

 <source>Sentence one. Sentence two. Sentence three. .... Sentence
two thousand and forty five.</source>

</part>

</unit>

Best regards, 

Helena Shih Chapman

Globalization Technologies and Architecture

+1-720-396-6323 or T/L 938-6323

Waltham, Massachusetts

From:        Yves
Savourel <>

To:        <>

Date:        11/01/2011
04:56 PM 

Subject:        [xliff]
Segmentation as core or not

Sent by:        <>

Hi all,

To continue on the discussion whether the "segmentation" feature
is core or not:

I think Dave has an obviously valid point when saying that segmentation
is not necessarily done at the time of the extraction, and therefore we
could have un-segmented XLIFF.

But to me a "segment" is not necessarily the result of a segmentation
process it can be a "block" extracted from the original format
(as our definition states: http://wiki.oasis-open.org/xliff/OneContentModel#Definitions.2BAC8-Terminology).

So each un-segmented entry is, by nature a segment, that simply contains
potentially several sentences.

Maybe things would more clear if we think about the element <segment>
as a "part" rather than a "segment"? The Segmentation
representation addresses how to organize and manipulate such parts.

<unit id='1'>

<part>

 <source>Sentence one. Sentence two.</source>

</part>

</unit>

<unit id='1'>

<part>

 <source>Sentence one. </source>

</part>

<part>

 <source> Sentence two.</source>

</part>

</unit>

Maybe, viewed from that angle it's more clear that such element needs to
be part of the core?

Cheers,

-ys

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