TBX Convert: MultiTerm: Writing Mappings

Because MultiTerm allows user-created data fields, and because TBX is not a single markup language but a family of them, the conversion tool must be configured for the exact kinds of data it will be converting—their original appearance and the TBX to which they should be translated. We configure it with a file called a mapping.

This section of the website explains how to write a mapping. It will also be useful for reference if you need to modify an existing mapping file.

    Steps to writing a mapping:
  1. Identify your MultiTerm data fields: Their names, meanings, and possible values.
  2. Determine which TBX data categories represent them best.
  3. Consider restructuring source citations and other data from sibling relationships to parent/child.
  4. Write up templates for the TBX elements you will create from each MultiTerm field.
  5. Write up restructuring orders if necessary.
  6. Assemble your mapping.
  7. Test your mapping and review any warnings it generates. (XML comments in output.)
  8. Validate the TBX to discover anything you may have missed.

The essentials of writing a mapping are in this text file, with examples and discussion.