Streamlining AsciiDoc Translation with Phrase TMS | A Case Study of Deploying Technical Documents from English into 9 Languages

1. A New Translation Workflow Supporting Multilingual Deployment of Technical Documents

Our company supports the translation and localization of technical documents across various fields. This case introduces a multilingual deployment project targeting technical documents created in the AsciiDoc format.

In this project, we carried out large-scale localization that included translation from Japanese to English, followed by deployment into nine additional languages using English as the master language.

A distinctive feature was the adoption of AsciiDoc as the foundation for document creation. Unlike traditional Word-based manual production, a document management method closer to software development was employed, requiring a new approach to the translation process.

Additionally, we utilized Phrase TMS for translation and built an efficient workflow that leverages its compatibility with AsciiDoc. A major feature of this project is the optimization achieved from both the technical documentation production and localization perspectives.

2. Background of Adopting AsciiDoc and Technical Advantages

AsciiDoc is a lightweight markup language that allows documents to be written in plain text.

While offering the ease of editing with a text editor, it can manage structured information such as headings, tables, images, and links, making it widely used in recent years in the fields of software development and technical documentation.

Traditional formats like Word are excellent as final manuscripts, but when managing large-scale technical documents over the long term, update history and difference management can become challenges. On the other hand, AsciiDoc allows for managing the content itself in a structured way, making it a format highly compatible with technical documentation.

3. Translation Workflow Utilizing Phrase TMS

Our company usually uses Trados as the CAT tool for translation.
However, for this project, we adopted Phrase TMS instead of Trados.
The basic features of Phrase TMS and the differences from CAT tools are explained in detail in the following article.

>Related Blog: What Is Memsource (Now Phrase TMS)? How Does a Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) Tool Differ from a Translation Management System (TMS)?

One of the major reasons is support for the AsciiDoc format (.adoc).

Trados, which is commonly used by our company and is generally standard in the industry, cannot directly read AsciiDoc files and requires prior conversion to formats such as XML.
Of course, handling files in that format is also possible, but additional conversion and verification work will occur, potentially increasing operational workload.

On the other hand, Phrase TMS can directly import AsciiDoc files without any conversion work. Although there are some points to be aware of, it can be handled much more smoothly compared to Trados, allowing us to build a simpler translation workflow.

Also, in actual operation, there were the following differences compared to Trados.
* This is from the perspective of this project.

For features of each CAT tool and points to consider when selecting, please also see the following article.

>Related Blog: Professionally Selected! Top 5 CAT Tool Comparisons – What Points Should You Choose?

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From fundamental concepts to how to place orders and considerations regarding quality and cost

Basic Guide to Multilingual Translation

4. Key Points in Multilingual Expansion

In this project, we adopted a workflow where the Japanese original text is first translated into English, and then the English version serves as the basis for expansion into nine languages.

An important point at this stage is to finalize the translated manuscript at the English stage.
If revisions are made after translation, the reflection work must be done for all nine languages. This increases both cost and workload, and there is also a risk of errors occurring.
If all changes are fully reflected at the English stage, the process can proceed smoothly when multilingual expansion is carried out.

The approach to multilingual deployment based on English and key points when requesting translations are also explained in detail in the following article.

>Related Blog: What is Multilingual Translation? A Clear Explanation from Basics to How to Place Orders and Costs