ISO/TR 24633-1:2026

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
• ICS: 01.020 - Terminology (principles and coordination)
• ICS: 35.240.30 - IT applications in information, documentation and publishing
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 37/SC 3 - Management of terminology resources
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 37/SC 3 - Management of terminology resources
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 28-May-2026
• Due Date: 23-Aug-2025
• Completion Date: 28-May-2026

Overview

ISO/TR 24633-1: Management of Terminology Resources - Companion to TermBase eXchange (TBX) - Part 1: General is an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) technical report that serves as a companion to ISO 30042, which specifies the TermBase eXchange (TBX) framework. Part 1 provides a general overview and foundational guidance for developing schemas and alternative representations for TBX-compliant terminological data.

TBX is an established standard for the exchange and management of terminological resources across industries, supporting consistent representation and interoperability. ISO/TR 24633-1 is particularly useful for tool developers and professionals who design, implement, or validate TBX dialects and related terminology databases.

Key Topics

• TBX Core Structure and Dialects
  TBX is structured with a core schema and extensible modules, allowing the creation of various TBX dialects. All compliant dialects validate against the TBX core structure, ensuring consistency across applications.

• Schema Development and Validation
  The document outlines how to approach the creation of validation schemas for both the TBX core and its dialects. It describes methodologies for schema development, attribute class management, element relationships, and validation constraints.

• Alternative Representations
  ISO/TR 24633-1 introduces alternative ways to represent TBX data, such as through RDF (Resource Description Framework) or JSON, facilitating integration with modern data environments.

• Namespace and Compatibility
  The technical report describes the use of TBX namespaces as defined in ISO 30042 and highlights compatibility with other standards, including XLIFF for localization.

• Inline Formatting
  It clarifies the handling of inline markup within TBX, supporting linguistic or formatting details in content exchange and localization workflows.

Applications

The guidance provided in ISO/TR 24633-1 supports a range of practical applications in terminology management:

• Tool Development
  Software vendors and in-house teams developing terminology management systems, CAT tools, or multilingual content management platforms can use the standard to ensure structured, interoperable data validation and creation.

• Schema Designers
  Technical specialists can refer to the methodologies outlined to develop new TBX dialects or adapt existing ones for sector-specific needs, such as medicine, engineering, or legal domains.

• Information Exchange
  Organizations involved in the exchange of terminological data, including translation agencies, publishers, and regulatory bodies, can leverage TBX and companion guidance for consistent, lossless data interchange.

• Interoperability Initiatives
  For projects requiring integration with other standards (such as RDF, JSON, or TEI), ISO/TR 24633-1 facilitates the mapping and translation of terminological content into compatible formats, supporting digital transformation and semantic web requirements.

Related Standards

• ISO 30042: Management of Terminology Resources - TermBase eXchange (TBX)
  The core standard that defines the TBX framework for structured terminological data exchange.

• ISO/TR 24633-2: RNG Schema for TBX Core
  Provides practical guidance for creating a Relax NG schema for the TBX core structure.

• ISO/TR 24633-3: RDF Representation for TBX Core
  Details the procedure for representing TBX structures in RDF for enhanced semantic web integration.

• ISO/IEC 19757-2: RELAX NG
  Specification for schema languages used in XML-based validation.

• ISO 21720: XLIFF (XML Localization Interchange File Format)
  For data interchange in localization, compatible at the inline markup level with TBX.

Implementing ISO/TR 24633-1 helps ensure robust, future-ready terminology resource management, supports interoperability, and enables conformance with leading terminology standards.

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: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
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]

-----------
...