TBX 3 Structure – conceptEntry, langSec and termSec Explained
TBX (ISO 30042) is concept-oriented. conceptEntry represents the concept, langSec the language, and termSec a concrete term.
The TBX series – from overview to practice
- Overview
- Understanding the structure (this page)
- What information TBX can carry
- TBX export & import in practice
At first glance, TBX can look like “a lot of XML”. But once you understand how TBX thinks, the structure becomes surprisingly simple:
one concept → multiple languages → multiple terms.
Concept-oriented means: start with meaning, not with words
TBX does not start with a word. It starts with a concept. Words come later.
This is the key idea behind TBX: a concept remains stable, while terms may change, vary, or depend on context.
The three building blocks of TBX
1. conceptEntry – the concept
A conceptEntry represents a single concept. It is language-independent and contains information that applies to all languages, such as definitions, subject fields or conceptual relations.
In other words: conceptEntry answers the question “What is it?”
2. langSec – the language
Each language has its own langSec.
The language is identified using xml:lang,
for example en-US or de-DE.
All terms belonging to that language are grouped inside the same langSec.
3. termSec – the term
A termSec represents one concrete term. This is where you describe how the concept is named in a specific language.
A langSec can contain multiple termSec elements, which allows you to model synonyms, variants or product names cleanly.
A small example
<conceptEntry id="c001">
<descrip type="definition">
Optical output power of a laser.
</descrip>
<langSec xml:lang="en-US">
<termSec>
<term>laser output power</term>
</termSec>
</langSec>
<langSec xml:lang="de-DE">
<termSec>
<term>Laserleistung</term>
</termSec>
</langSec>
</conceptEntry>
These element names follow TBX 3 / ISO 30042:2019. TBX 2 uses the older names
termEntry, langSet, and tig.
Why this structure matters
- Concepts stay clearly separated
- Languages do not get mixed up
- Multiple terms can coexist without ambiguity
- Terminology can be exchanged without losing meaning
What comes next
Now that the structure is clear, the next question is: What kind of information can TBX actually carry?
Continue with: What information TBX can carry .
See TBX structures in practice
Explore terminology data in flashterm
See how concepts, languages, and terms work together in a usable interface.