TSV Translations
File Format

TSV translations file format

TSV (Tab-Separated Values) is a plain text file format that stores tabular data using tab characters (\t) to separate values. For translation management, TSV offers a cleaner alternative to CSV when dealing with content that contains commas, quotes, or other special characters. Each row represents a translation key, while columns represent different languages or metadata fields. The tab delimiter eliminates many parsing issues common with comma-separated formats, making TSV particularly suitable for complex translation content.

key	english	spanish	french
welcome	Welcome!	¡Bienvenido!	Bienvenue!
login.title	Sign In	Iniciar Sesión	Se connecter
login.email	Email Address	Dirección de Correo	Adresse E-mail
login.password	Password	Contraseña	Mot de passe
home.greeting	Hello, {name}!	¡Hola, {name}!	Bonjour, {name}!
error.network	Network connection failed	Falló la conexión de red	Échec de la connexion réseau

The main advantage of TSV over CSV is that tab characters are rarely used in human-readable text. This means you can include commas, quotes, and other punctuation in your translations without worrying about escaping or quoting rules. The format is also more readable in plain text editors, as tab alignment creates natural column spacing.

TSV with metadata columns

Like CSV, TSV files can include additional metadata columns to provide context and organizational structure.These columns help translators understand the purpose and context of each translation, leading to better quality results.

key	english	spanish	french	description	namespace
welcome	Welcome!	¡Bienvenido!	Bienvenue!	Main welcome message	home	Homepage
login.title	Sign In	Iniciar Sesión	Se connecter	Login screen title	auth	Page
login.email	Email Address	Dirección de Correo	Adresse E-mail	Email input field label	auth	Form
button.submit	Submit	Enviar	Soumettre	Generic submit button text	common	Button text
error.validation	Please check your input	Verifica tu entrada	Vérifiez votre saisie	Form validation error message	validation

Sample metadata columns for TSV

• description: Clear explanation of the translation's purpose and usage
• namespace: Logical grouping for related translations (e.g., auth, home, common)

Advantages of TSV over CSV

TSV provides several practical advantages when working with translation content that often contains punctuation and special characters.

# TSV - Simple and clean
key	english	spanish
greeting	Hello, world!	¡Hola, mundo!
message	He said "Welcome!"	Él dijo "¡Bienvenido!"
address	123 Main St, Suite 100	Calle Principal 123, Suite 100

# CSV - Requires quoting and escaping
"key","english","spanish"
"greeting","Hello, world!","¡Hola, mundo!"
"message","He said ""Welcome!""","Él dijo ""¡Bienvenido!"""
"address","123 Main St, Suite 100","Calle Principal 123, Suite 100"

Key advantages of TSV

• No escaping needed: Commas, quotes, and apostrophes don't require special handling
• Better readability: Tab alignment makes columns visually distinct in text editors
• Simpler parsing: Less complex rules for handling special characters
• Clean data: Reduced risk of parsing errors due to unescaped characters
• Natural formatting: Tabs create consistent spacing without additional formatting
• Multilingual friendly: Works well with content containing various punctuation marks

Working with TSV files

TSV files can be created and edited using the same tools as CSV files, with most applications supporting both formats.The choice between TSV and CSV often comes down to the nature of your content and your team's preferences.

Creating TSV files

• Spreadsheet applications: Most can export to TSV format through "Save As" or "Export" options
• Text editors: Create manually by typing tab characters between values
• Programming scripts: Generate programmatically using tab characters as delimiters
• Database exports: Many databases can export query results directly to TSV format
• Translation tools: Export from existing translation management systems

TSV formatting best practices

Following these best practices ensures your TSV files work correctly across different tools and systems.

Best Practices:
✓ Use actual tab characters (\t), not spaces
✓ Include header row with column names
✓ Use UTF-8 encoding for international characters
✓ Keep consistent column structure across all rows
✓ Avoid trailing tabs or extra whitespace
✓ Use consistent line endings (LF or CRLF)
✓ Test import/export with your target applications

Where TSV translations are used

TSV files are particularly popular in data-intensive environments and situations where content contains many special characters that would complicate CSV parsing.

Microsoft Excel

Google Sheets

LibreOffice Calc

Apple Numbers

How to manage TSV translations effectively?

Managing TSV translations effectively requires understanding the format's strengths and implementing workflows that take advantage of its simplicity while maintaining data integrity and collaboration efficiency.

TSV vs CSV: When to choose which format

Understanding when to use TSV versus CSV helps you choose the right format for your specific translation management needs and content characteristics.

Common TSV challenges and solutions

While TSV is generally simpler than CSV, there are still some challenges to be aware of when working with tab-separated translation files.

Challenge: Tab character visibility

Problem: Tab characters are invisible in most text editors, making it hard to verify correct formatting.

Solution: Use editors that can show whitespace characters, or configure your editor to display tabs visually. Most modern code editors have this feature in their settings.

Challenge: Tab-to-space conversion

Problem: Some editors automatically convert tabs to spaces, breaking the TSV format.

Solution: Configure your editor to preserve tab characters, or use dedicated TSV/CSV editing tools. Always verify the file format after editing.

Challenge: Inconsistent line endings

Problem: Different operating systems use different line ending characters, which can cause import issues.

Solution: Standardize on UTF-8 encoding with LF line endings for cross-platform compatibility. Use version control settings to handle line endings automatically.

Converting between TSV and other formats

SimpleLocalize makes format conversion seamless, allowing you to work with TSV while supporting teams that prefer other formats.You can upload TSV files and export to JSON, YAML, Properties, XML, or any other supported format. This flexibility lets you optimize your workflow while maintaining compatibility with different tools and team preferences.

The platform intelligently handles the conversion process, preserving metadata and translation context across different formats. This means you can use TSV for its simplicity and clean handling of special characters while still providing translations in the format your application requires.

Best practices for TSV translation management

Follow these best practices to get the most out of TSV for your translation workflow:

• Use UTF-8 encoding: Ensures proper display of international characters and emojis
• Include comprehensive headers: Use descriptive column names that clearly indicate purpose
• Maintain consistent structure: Ensure all rows have the same number of columns
• Preserve tab characters: Configure tools to maintain tabs rather than converting to spaces
• Add validation checks: Regularly verify file structure and data integrity
• Document your format: Create guidelines for team members working with TSV files
• Use version control: Track changes and collaborate effectively with Git or similar tools
• Test imports regularly: Verify that your TSV files work correctly with target applications