Management of terminology resources — Companion to TermBase eXchange (TBX) — Part 1: General

TermBase eXchange (TBX), as specified in ISO 30042, comprises a framework consisting of two interacting components: a core structure and a formalism for defining data category modules. ISO 30042 describes the elements and attributes of the TBX core structure. This document provides an overview of schemas or alternative representations that can be developed based on the information described in ISO 30042. Individual validation schemas or alternative representations are described in individual Technical Reports in the ISO 24633 series. This document does not include details for creating schemas or alternative representations for any particular TBX dialect.

Gestion des ressources terminologiques — Complément à TermBase eXchange (TBX) — Partie 1: Généralités

General Information

Status
Published
Publication Date
27-May-2026
Current Stage
6060 - International Standard published
Start Date
28-May-2026
Due Date
23-Aug-2025
Completion Date
28-May-2026

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ISO/TR 24633-1:2026 - Management of terminology resources — Companion to TermBase eXchange (TBX) — Part 1: General

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Overview

ISO/TR 24633-1:2026 provides a foundational overview for developing and managing terminology resources using the TermBase eXchange (TBX) framework. As a companion to ISO 30042, this Technical Report supports stakeholders in understanding the generic TBX core structure and the development of schemas or alternative representations for terminology data. The intention is to guide tool developers, standardization professionals, and information managers in configuring, validating, and exchanging terminological data efficiently and consistently.

The document outlines the core principles behind TBX, definitions related to schema development, and methodologies for creating both validation schemas and alternative data representations, ensuring compatibility and interoperability across multilingual and global terminology management systems.

Key Topics

  • TBX Core Structure and Dialects
    The report explains the distinction between the underlying TBX core structure, as defined in ISO 30042, and TBX dialects, which are variants tailored to specific data category modules or industry needs. All TBX-compliant dialects must validate against the core structure to maintain consistency.

  • Schematization and Representation
    ISO/TR 24633-1 details approaches for defining validation schemas and alternative representations based on TBX core, including the methodology for developing schemas (e.g., Relax NG, Schematron) and the fundamentals of alternative formats (such as RDF or JSON).

  • Inline Formatting and Namespace
    Guidance is provided for dealing with inline markup-crucial for text processing and translation workflows-and clarifies TBX namespace assignment for consistent integration and exchange.

  • Scope and Methodology
    The report clarifies what TBX companions cover, including validation schemas and representations, and offers methodologies for careful scope definition and rollout of new TBX resources.

Applications

  • Terminology Management Solutions
    Tool developers and language service providers can adopt TBX-compliant frameworks for managing multilingual glossaries, ensuring standardized and validated termbase formats across translation, localization, and content management workflows.

  • Schema and Representation Development
    Standards professionals and data architects use these guidelines to design and implement validation schemas, or to create custom alternative representations (such as JSON or RDF) for terminological data exchange.

  • Interoperability Enhancement
    By adhering to the TBX core structure and companion standards, organizations enhance interoperability among diverse terminology databases, tools, and digital ecosystems-enabling ease of data exchange and migration.

  • Educational and Reference Use
    This document serves as a resource for training technical communicators, information scientists, and translators on the principles of terminology resource management and standards-based content exchange.

Related Standards

  • ISO 30042: Management of terminology resources – TermBase eXchange (TBX)
    The foundational standard defining the TBX core structure, elements, and attributes.

  • ISO/TR 24633-2: RNG schema for TBX core
    Companion Technical Report detailing the development of a Relax NG schema for validating TBX core documents.

  • ISO/TR 24633-3: RDF representation for TBX core
    Provides procedures for representing TBX core structure in RDF (Resource Description Framework), facilitating semantic web integration.

  • ISO 21720: XLIFF (XML Localization Interchange File Format)
    For projects integrating TBX into translation and localization workflows, especially where inline markup compatibility is a concern.

  • ISO/IEC 19757-3: Schematron
    For rule-based validation approaches that complement TBX schema development.

By following ISO/TR 24633-1:2026 and its related standards, organizations and tool developers enable robust, interoperable, and standards-based management of terminology resources, supporting global communication and digital content strategies.

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Technical report

ISO/TR 24633-1:2026 - Management of terminology resources — Companion to TermBase eXchange (TBX) — Part 1: General

Release Date:28-May-2026
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Frequently Asked Questions

ISO/TR 24633-1:2026 is a technical report published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Its full title is "Management of terminology resources — Companion to TermBase eXchange (TBX) — Part 1: General". This standard covers: TermBase eXchange (TBX), as specified in ISO 30042, comprises a framework consisting of two interacting components: a core structure and a formalism for defining data category modules. ISO 30042 describes the elements and attributes of the TBX core structure. This document provides an overview of schemas or alternative representations that can be developed based on the information described in ISO 30042. Individual validation schemas or alternative representations are described in individual Technical Reports in the ISO 24633 series. This document does not include details for creating schemas or alternative representations for any particular TBX dialect.

TermBase eXchange (TBX), as specified in ISO 30042, comprises a framework consisting of two interacting components: a core structure and a formalism for defining data category modules. ISO 30042 describes the elements and attributes of the TBX core structure. This document provides an overview of schemas or alternative representations that can be developed based on the information described in ISO 30042. Individual validation schemas or alternative representations are described in individual Technical Reports in the ISO 24633 series. This document does not include details for creating schemas or alternative representations for any particular TBX dialect.

ISO/TR 24633-1:2026 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 01.020 - Terminology (principles and coordination); 35.240.30 - IT applications in information, documentation and publishing. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.

ISO/TR 24633-1:2026 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.

Standards Content (Sample)


Technical
Report
ISO/TR 24633-1
First edition
Management of terminology
2026-05
resources — Companion to
TermBase eXchange (TBX) —
Part 1:
General
Gestion des ressources terminologiques — Complément à
TermBase eXchange (TBX) —
Partie 1: Généralités
Reference number
© ISO 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Abbreviated terms . 2
5 Relationship between the generic TBX core structure and TBX dialects . 3
6 Scope of TBX companions . 3
7 TBX namespace . 3
8 Inline formatting . 4
9 How to develop a TBX companion. 4
9.1 Defining a validation schema . . .4
9.1.1 Defining the scope .4
9.1.2 Describing the methodology for a schema .4
9.2 Defining an alternative representation .5
9.2.1 Defining the scope . .5
9.2.2 Describing the methodology for a representation .5
Bibliography . 6

iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 37, Language and terminology, Subcommittee
SC 3, Management of terminology resources.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
This document is the first part of a series of companion standards to ISO 30042:2019, which defines a
framework for representing terminological data, referred to as TBX 3.0.
Although TBX 2019 (ISO 30042:2019) is only the second edition of the International Standard, an earlier
[12]
LISA version existed that has come to be designated TBX 1.0. The third version of the TBX standard
(ISO 30042:2019) provides for a core data structure that is common to all TBX dialects, augmented by
additional modules designed to define the constraints associated with supplemental data categories used
in different terminology management environments. This structural principle provides users with the
flexibility to configure their own TBX-compliant data models by combining the TBX core structure with
other existing modules, such as TBX-Min and TBX-Basic, plus a final module containing any additional data
categories designed to meet their special needs.
NOTE TBX-Basic is a common TBX dialect that reflects industry best-practices for terminology databases that are
[12]
used for content production purposes such as authoring and translation.
End users of terminological data collections include technical communicators, translators and information
specialists. They will benefit most from the implementation of the TBX framework if the computing tools
used in their work environments integrate procedures for the automatic validation of TBX document
instances. Thus, the ISO 24633 series of Technical Reports is primarily for tools developers who wish to
implement ISO 30042. It is assumed that the projected users of this document will possess the following
skills:
— familiarity with basic principles of concept-oriented terminology management;
— familiarity with the TBX standard (ISO 30042);
— familiarity with the approach involved in a given schema or representation.
This document ensures commonality for consistency across multiple documents. Subsequent parts of this
[6] [17] [18]
series describe schemas for validation. Some examples include RNG , RDFS , JSON , DCT style (of TBX)
[19]
or TEI (or TEI friendly).
This document provides a general overview of how to develop schemas and representations for TBX. It
includes the following:
— Terminology: Representation-agnostic terminology.
— Scope: Clarification of the scope of companions to TBX.
— Methodology: How to approach the development and writing of new schemas or representations.
Additional schemas or representations are described in subsequent parts of this series.

v
Technical Report ISO/TR 24633-1:2026(en)
Management of terminology resources — Companion to
TermBase eXchange (TBX) —
Part 1:
General
1 Scope
TermBase eXchange (TBX), as specified in ISO 30042, comprises a framework consisting of two interacting
components: a core structure and a formalism for defining data category modules. ISO 30042 describes
the elements and attributes of the TBX core structure. This document provides an overview of schemas or
alternative representations that can be developed based on the information described in ISO 30042.
Individual validation schemas or alternative representations are described in individual Technical Reports
in the ISO 24633 series. This document does not include details for creating schemas or alternative
representations for any particular TBX dialect.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 30042, Management of terminology resources — TermBase eXchange (TBX)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 30042 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
DCA
data category as attribute
style of representing TBX data whereby most data categories are expressed as the value of a type attribute
on an XML element declared in the corresponding schema (3.6)
EXAMPLE adjective.
[SOURCE: ISO 30042:2019, 3.10]
3.2
DCT
data category as tag
style of representing TBX data whereby most data categories are expressed as XML generic identifiers
EXAMPLE adjective.
[SOURCE: ISO 30042:2019, 3.11]

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