VBLM's LTE import and export commands, accessed via the file menu, allow you to transfer string data between VBLM's binary project files (*.LMP) and text import/export files (*.LMX). LMX files can be edited with any text editor and are useful for three purposes:
1) They provide VBLM with a rudimentary dictionary capability. While translations stored in LMP files are tied directly to the parent VB project, those exported to an LMX file can be imported into any LMP file.
2) You can create an LMX file, send it for translation to anyone with language skills and a text editor, then get it back and import it. Your translator does not need a license for VBLM (though I'd love to sell him one).
3) They extend VBLM's ability to work with 3rd party programs that do not support clipboard translation. By giving you control over LMX file format, VBLM's export options allow you to create files that, with minimal editing on your part, can be loaded into these programs, translated, and then imported back into the LMP file. For details, see Using Pro's Export Options: An Example.
While the details of exporting and importing are discussed in separate topics, the basic principle of operation is simple. When you export, VBLM writes string data in pairs to the LMX file: the original string and the translation in the current language table, along with the string's context. When you import, VBLM reads each pair and scans all original strings in the current language table; if an exact match is found on string and context, it imports the translation.
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