XLIFF content localization allows customers with globally distributed learners and teams to easily localize course content into multiple languages using any third-party localization tool that can handle XLIFF files (the standard file format for localization / translation data).
Use Case Information
At a high level, the user flow for creating a new, localized version of a content item involves exporting, updating, and then re-importing an XLIFF file. This functionality is available for most content types as well as rich text Asset Library items.
Content Items available for XLIFF Translation:
- Courses
- All page types are supported, although note some limitations in the section below.
- Microcourses
- All page types are supported, although note some limitations in the section below.
- ILTs & VILTs with pre/post learning
- Meeting details are not included in the export but for events with pre/post-learning enabled, all other text fields (content title, section / lesson / page titles, page content) are included in the XLIFF.
- Learning Paths
- When an XLIFF is exported for a learning path, the resulting file will contain the learning path title as well as milestone titles and descriptions. A learning path XLIFF does not include all course content items within the learning path; those must each be localized separately.
- Articles
- Videos
- Rich Text Asset Library Items
Note
In order to import an XLIFF to Thought Industries, it must have a target language that exists in your Thought Industries instance–either one of the defaults (de, en, es, fr, ja, pt, zh) or a custom language you have defined.
Localizing Content Items
This outlines the steps to create a new localized version of a content item.
- Create a content item in the Thought Industries platform (from scratch or copy) & populate with all content (in whatever language the course was originally authored in).
Tip
If you’re planning to have multiple versions of a course available in different languages, we recommend cloning a new version of the course before proceeding to the next step. For example, if the course was originally authored in English but you want a Spanish version, make a copy of the English course and name it accordingly (e.g., “Marketing 101 – Español”).
- Download the cloned course from Thought Industries as an XLIFF file by going to Courses > All Courses.
Note
The download can be accomplished from within the admin interface or via API.
- Open a content item and navigate to the Release tab.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Download XLIFF.
- Follow the instructions for your third-party translation management system to import and translate the XLIFF file, then to download the new translated version of the XLIFF file.
- Upload the new translated XLIFF file to the cloned course that you created in step 1 by going to Courses > All Courses.
Note
The upload can be accomplished from within the admin interface or via API.
- Open a content item and navigate to the Release tab.
Note
You must upload the file to the same course you downloaded it from. Each text field in the XLIFF file has a unique identifier that must correspond to a text field in the target course.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click I’ve exported the file and added translations.
- Upload the new XLIFF file and click Apply XLIFF Translations to complete the import.
- All text fields for all content within the course are replaced with the localized text from the XLIFF file.
Limitations
- Catalog settings: All fields in the Catalog Settings menu (open content item Design tab Edit Catalog Settings) are attached to the course group object. XLIFF localization applies only to the course (aka session) object and not the course group, so Catalog Settings fields are not in scope.
- Asset Library items in content items: If a field in a content item includes an Asset Library object, the object will be retained in the translated version of the field but the Asset Library object itself will not be translated because it is located outside of the content item.
- Packaged content: For pages that contain packaged or third-party content–SCORM, xAPI, LTI Launch, HTML Embed, Bongo–only page text that is stored within a Thought Industries database field (i.e., the page title) will be translated but the packaged content will not be included in the XLIFF.
- Client / panorama alternative pages: Pages that are “unlocked for editing” and then edited at the panorama are not included in this iteration of XLIFF export functionality.
- Likert questions: Likert questions (and other questions with the same row/column functionality, like Table questions in surveys) are not supported for localization.
Localizing Asset Library Items
This outlines the steps to create a new localized version of a rich text Asset Libary Item. The scope of this functionality is limited to Asset Library rich text items. Other asset types (images, SCORM files, etc.) don’t contain learner-facing text to be localized.
- Create a rich text item in the Thought Industries Asset Library (from scratch or copy) & populate with all content (in whatever language the item was originally authored in).
Tip
If you’re planning to have multiple versions of an Asset Library rich text item available in different languages, we recommend cloning a new version of the item before proceeding to the next step. For example, if the item was originally authored in English but you want a Spanish version, make a copy of the English item and name it accordingly (e.g., “Marketing 101 – Español”).
- Download the cloned Asset Library item from Thought Industries as an XLIFF file by going to Courses > Asset Library.
- Click on the three-dot menu for any rich text Asset Library item and select Translate and then Download XLIFF.
- Follow the instructions for your third-party translation management system to import and translate the XLIFF file, then to download the new translated version of the XLIFF file.
- Upload the new translated XLIFF file to the cloned item that you created in step 1 by going to Courses > Asset Library.
- From the same Asset Library item, select I’ve exported the file and added translations.
Note
You must upload the file to the same item you downloaded it from. Each text field in the XLIFF file has a unique identifier that must correspond to a text field in the target item.
- Upload the new XLIFF file and click Apply XLIFF Translations to complete the import.
- All text fields for all content within the rich text item are replaced with the localized text from the XLIFF file.
Partial Updates using XLIFF files
When an XLIFF is uploaded, it is not required to include all text fields that exist in the content object.
- If the XLIFF contains a value for a text field in a course, the value from the XLIFF will replace the value that was previously stored for that field.
- If a translation isn’t provided for a field (i.e., the field ID is not included in the XLIFF), it won’t be updated.
- If an XLIFF contains a field ID that doesn’t exist in the database, the field is ignored and other fields are successfully updated.