How to import TBX files into Trados Translation Memory (TMX)

In order to import TBX files into Trados Translation Memory, we need to find out the way to conver TBX files into TMX files.

What the differences between TBX and TMX?

TBX, short as TermBase eXchange, is an open, XML-based standard used for interchange of terminology data including detailed lexical information. It has been approved as an international standard by the Localization Industry Standards Association (LISA) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

TMX, short as Translation Memory eXchange, is the best way of importing and exporting translation memories, recongnized by many translation community.

One difference between TBX and TMX is that a TBX file handles multiple languages, whereas a TMX file handles only two languages.

We can still got many TBX translation memories like Microsoft Terminology, it can be used to develop localized versions of applications that integrate with Microsoft products. Even though, the Microsoft Terminology can be regarded as a highly standard when you are translating or localizing IT project.

Now let’s take Microsoft Terminology TBX translation memory file as example and find out how to convert it into TMX file and import into Trados Translation Memory.

1. The easiest tool of coverting TBX to TMX goes to ApSIC Xbench.

This product supports a number of input formats including:

– Tab-delimited text files

– XLIFF files

– TMX memories

– TBX/MARTIF glossaries

– Exported Trados Workbench memories

– Exported Trados Multiterm glossaries (version 5 and XML)

– Trados TagEditor files

– Trados Studio files

– Trados Word bilingual uncleaned files

– IBM TranslationManager folders, memories and dictionaries

– OpenTM2 folders, memories and dictionaries

– SDLX .itd files

– SDLX memories

– Star Transit 2.6/XV projects

– PO files

– Wordfast glossaries

– Wordfast memories

– Wordfast Pro TXML files

– Logoport RTF files

– Idiom files

– DejaVu files

– Microsoft Glossaries (.csv files)

– Mac OS X Glossaries

Read Also: Translation Skills of Long Sentence

It’s a free software and you can download it from its official website:

2. After installing ApSIC Xbench, we need to load the TBX files using ApSIC Xbench. (After Loading, we can use ApSIC Xbench as a dictionary to check words and phrases from TBX memory)

Open ApSIC Xbench,  click Project – New – Add – then choose TBX glossary as follow:

then click Next, Select the TBX file, click Next, then comes to the Properties Panel.

Only select Key Terms and the other keep default,

then click Next, choose the proper Source Language and Target Language.Then click OK.

And the TBX file will be successfully loaded into Xbench.

In the Project Column, you can search words in the TBX file just like a dictionary.

Here, i’m going to teach you how to convert TBX into TMX by Xbench.

Click Tools – Export Items

In the Output Section, Select TMX Memory under format,  File Name you can write what you want, proper fill in the source and target language, then click OK, it will be export as a TMX memory!

Questions:

when you try to import the converted TMX file into Trados translation memory, the following errors may occur:

(50400): Error in tmx input

This is mainly caused by the Document Encoder.

The default Xbench encoder is : UTF – 8.

But Traods only recognize Unicode, a little bit of out date…(Tested in Trados 2007).

So, at this case, we need to change the encoder of the document simply by using some XML editor like Notepad2 or Notepad++

And it will be successfully imported!

Why use Translation Memory?

Translation memory is very useful and helpful when translating technical documents and documents consist of specialized vocabularies. Its benefits include: