01 / Overview
More than source and target.
SDLXLIFF is the bilingual document format used by Trados Studio. Alongside source text and translations, a file can carry segment states, inline tags and metadata needed by the translation workflow.
Morfem Studio accepts individual .sdlxliff files. Trados project packages use .sdlppx, a separate container that can include bilingual files and project information.
- Extension
.sdlxliff- Format family
- Bilingual XML
- Input
- Individual file or within a Trados project package
- Editing model
- Source segments with editable targets
02 / Working in Morfem
From file to working text.
Bring in your document
Upload the bilingual file to a project. Review the language pair and the segments before you begin.
Translate with context
Work through target segments with translation memory, terminology and concordance available in the editor.
Review before delivery
Run QA, inspect the findings and review your export in the receiving workflow.
03 / Structure & preservation
The original is the starting point.
Morfem’s SDLXLIFF writer starts from the original XML and applies segment edits to it. This avoids rebuilding the entire document from plain text. Target content, translation state and lock changes are handled where those edits belong.
<source>Open the settings menu.</source>
<target>Åpne innstillingsmenyen.</target>Illustrative XML, not a complete SDLXLIFF document.
Keep tags in view
Inline tags are part of the document structure. Check their placement when editing a target, particularly where formatting spans only part of a sentence.
04 / Delivery considerations
Check the hand-off, too.
A standalone .sdlxliff file and a Trados return package are different deliverables. Confirm which one the recipient expects before starting the project.
Original-XML preservation is an implementation approach, not a guarantee for every vendor extension or workflow. Validate a representative exported file in the recipient’s tool, including tags, segment states and any project-specific requirements.
Draft reference copy, grounded in the current parser and writer. A version-specific compatibility matrix and end-to-end delivery certification are outside this design exploration.