In my blog post two weeks ago, I explained how you can run Idiom Worldserver Desktop Workbench on Windows 8. I got some nice reactions on that post: people finally got Idiom Worldserver Desktop Workbench running on Windows 8.1.
Until now I did not receive comments from people for whom this solution did not work out. Nevertheless there can be situations in which it can be preferable to open Idiom Desktop XLZ files in another CAT tool. This blog post is dedicated to opening XLZ files in MemoQ. Later this week I will add an article dedicated to Export Idiom TM.

Jump to:

• What are XLZ files?
• Opening XLZ files in Trados Studio
• XLZ in MemoQ
• Why should you open XLZ files in MemoQ?

What are XLZ files?

First of all let me explain what XLZ files actually are.
XLZ is the proprietary file extension for SDL Idiom Worldserver Desktop Workbench files. XLZ files contain the strings and segments to be translated in Idiom Worldserver Desktop Workbench. The file format is based on the XLIFF format which is used for many CAT tool files. SDL XLIFF files (for opening in Trados Studio) are in XLIFF files too.

Opening XLZ files in Trados Studio

Because XLIFF files can be opened in Trados Studio, XLZ files can be opened in Trados Studio too.
Years ago SDL, the maker of Trados Studio, acquired Idiom, the maker of Idiom Worldserver Desktop Workbench. Although you should expect that this acquisition lead to a more simple process for opening XLZ files in Trados Studio, nothing is less true. In my previous technical blog post I wrote about opening XLZ files in Trados Studio: although it is possible to open the files for translation in Studio 2014, exporting them in target format and importing the translated files in Idiom Worldserver Desktop Workbench will create problems: empty segments and angry clients.

XLZ in MemoQ

Fortunately there’s MemoQ: another leading CAT tool that can open XLZ files too. Last week I created a project in MemoQ dedicated to a recurring project. Importing the XLZ files was a piece of cake. The files were imported in seconds afterwards they could translated easily. Exporting the files to their native format and importing the translated files back in Idiom Worldserver Desktop Workbench was quick and simple too: so I finally found a not native CAT tool which can handle XLZ files in a quick and qualitative way.

Why should you open XLZ files in MemoQ?

When you followed the instructions in my article ‘Running SDL Idiom Worldserver Desktop Workbench on Windows 8.1’ you should have Idiom Worldserver Desktop Workbench running on Windows 8 now. Why should you ever open XLZ files in MemoQ?
The answer is simple: we’ve found a workaround for Idiom Worldserver Desktop Workbench now but a new version of Microsoft’s operating system can create new troubles. Furthermore Idiom Worldserver Desktop Workbench is not supported for years now and there will come a time that the troubles solved now cannot be solved any longer.
And last but not least: the popular CAT tool MemoQ is supported and offers unprecedented support for XLZ files.

However, to benefit from this MemoQ feature you should export the Idiom TM. You can read about that process here.