RE: [xliff] Preserve XML attribute or metadata without extensibility

[Yves Savourel <ysavourel@enlaso.com>]

Hi all,

Bryan, I think the root of the problem you are having with XML + XLST -> XLIFF is about storing your skeleton. Even in 1.2: Technically nothing would prevent you to put the whole original XML in the skeleton, and re-process it, replacing only the text where needed.

The approach of taking the original file and putting an XLIFF structure on top of it is not very well handled today because 1.2 has no facilities to store skeleton between <trans-unit>.

But even with 1.2 you can work around this by using inline codes:

<source><ph id='1'>&lt;para id="g_3423_spectrum" alt="</ph>It's orders of magnitude faster<ph id='2'>" rev="c"></ph>This is orders of magnitude faster than swept analysis techniques.<ph id='3'>&lt;/para></ph></source>

It's more ugly then the rotten teeth of a naked mole rat without dental insurance, but it works. At the same time inline codes are not meant to store external skeleton: it adds codes in the XLIFF content. In 2.0 something with <ignorable> would be nicer, as Rodolfo pointed out.

But ultimately those structural codes should probably be out of the trans-unit altogether. Maybe there is a need to have something at the <unit> level that is the same as <ignorable> in the segment. In other words: an official way to have XLIFF used as a layer on top of the original file.

Just thinking out loud...
-ys