Open Language Tools
| Company type | Initiative / Software project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software localization, Computer-assisted translation |
| Founder | Sun Microsystems |
| Products | XLIFF Filters, XLIFF Translation Editor |
| Owner | Sun Microsystems |
Open Language Tools is a Java-based initiative created and distributed by Sun Microsystems under the Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL). Designed specifically for localisation specialists and translators, it accommodates widely accepted file standards such as XLIFF and TMX to facilitate software and documentation translation.
The package comprises XLIFF Filters, which transform diverse source file formats into XLIFF, along with the XLIFF Translation Editor, a tool built to open and modify XLIFF documents. Developed in Java, these applications function across multiple platforms including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, requiring Java Runtime Environment (J2RE) version 1.4.2 or later.
XLIFF Filters
This utility converts original source files into the XLIFF 1.0 specification. Users activate the filters and drag a source document onto the interface, resulting in the creation of a .xlz archive saved alongside the original file. The conversion process consists of:
- Analyzing the source content,
- Differentiating translatable segments from non-translatable ones by dividing them into blocks,
- Further segmenting translatable blocks into smaller units like sentences,
- Producing an XLIFF (.xlf) file together with a skeleton (.skl) file, both compressed within a zipped .xlz package.
XLIFF Translation Editor
This application supports translation of XLIFF files, which are complex XML-based formats not easily handled without specialized tools. It presents dual panes displaying source and target texts, with content segmented and annotated by translation status—such as exact matches or approximate suggestions derived from earlier translations. Both sides are editable to ensure translators have complete contextual information.
The translation workflow begins by creating a Project and importing .xlf or .xlz files. A key feature is the “Mini-TM,” a project-specific file-based database containing all source and target segments that updates dynamically. When a segment has been previously translated, the Mini-TM automatically fills in the target segment and proposes fuzzy matches. Segments can be flagged as approved, reviewed, problematic, or user-generated translations. Additionally, comments originating from source documents (for example, .po files) or other translators can be displayed.
An integrated tool allows converting XLIFF files back into their original formats. Each XLIFF file also supports exporting a translation memory (TMX) file to update centralized translation repositories.
Documentation formats
- HTML
- DocBook SGML
- JSP
- XML (requires specific configuration per format)
- OpenOffice.org: sxw, sxc, sxi
- Open Document Format: odw, odc, odi
- Plain text
Software formats
- PO (gettext)
- Msg/tmsg (catgets)
- Java .properties
- Java ResourceBundle
- Mozilla .DTD resource files