2.1.3.9 Translation and localization

DITA has features that facilitate preparing content for translation and working with multilingual content, including the @xml:lang attribute, the @dir attribute, and the @translate attribute. In addition, the <index-sort-as> element provides support for index sorting in languages in which the index sort order must be modified by the author or translator.

• 2.1.3.9.1 The @xml:lang attribute
  The @xml:lang attribute specifies the language (and optionally the locale) of the element content. The @xml:lang attribute applies to all attributes and content of the element where it is specified, unless it is overridden with @xml:lang on another element within that content. When no @xml:lang attribute is specified, the processor should assume a default value.
• 2.1.3.9.2 The dir attribute
  The dir attribute provides direction about how processors should render bidirectional text. Languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, Urdu, and Yiddish have text written from right to left. Numerics and embedded sections of Western language text, however, are written from left to right. Some multilingual documents also contain a mixture of text segments in two directions. This attribute specifies how such text should be rendered to a reader.

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