Some L10N tools offer interfaces to translation memories and terminology tools, so that these can be accessed during the localisation process directly from the L10N tool. Usually these interfaces take the form of add-ins. Depending on the L10N tool chosen, TM or terminology databases interfaces can even be adapted to the users’ personal needs or preferences.
- Interfaces to Translation Memories (TMs): Interfaces to TMs are necessary because some parts of a localisation project cannot be translated in the L10N tool (e.g. documentation or online help); nevertheless the translations of the user interface done in the L10N tool are also needed for translating these documents. Depending on the L10N tool used, TM interfaces usually offer common TM functionalities such as: direct access to one or more TM databases (local, remote), concordance searching, using translation from TMs in translation editor, and writing translations to memory.
- Interfaces to Terminology Databases (TDBs): Interfaces to TDBs usually enable to make use of common TDBs' functionalities such as: terminology lookup in terminology databases, direct access (local, remote) to termbases, access to termbases via translation memory, use of translations in the translation editor and import of termbases.