Add your XLF file
Drop one or more .xlf files onto the converter above, or browse for them. They load into browser memory only — nothing is uploaded, so there is no size-based pricing and no server queue.
XLF to QTS
Converting a .xlf font to .qts repackages the same glyphs and metrics for a different delivery target. Free, private, and validated — the file never leaves your browser.
Private for supported formats — processed in your browser
Runs on your deviceConvert supported files
Drop XLF files here
Batch files can each use a different output. Nothing uploads for local conversions.
Working inputs include camera RAW, browser-local audio/video, PDF, CBZ/CBR comics, office documents, ebooks, markup, 3D models, structured text, images, and archives.About converting XLIFF 1.2 to Qt Linguist TS
Converting a .xlf font to .qts repackages the same glyphs and metrics for a different delivery target. A .xlf file is an XLIFF document — the OASIS XML standard for moving translation work between tools. Each translatable string becomes a trans-unit holding a source element and, once translated, a target element, wrapped in a file element that records the source and target languages.
A Qt Linguist translation source — catalogued here as .qts — is the XML file a Qt application is translated in: a <TS> document holding <context> groups, each containing <message> elements that pair a <source> string with its <translation>. Qt names these files .ts, which collides with TypeScript, so Novus Convert recognises them by the .qt.ts suffix and files them under .qts to keep the two apart. For this route the practical draw is context grouping gives translators genuine information about where a string appears and review state and obsolete strings are typed attributes, not conventions — balanced against the .ts extension collides with TypeScript, which breaks naive tooling constantly, which is worth knowing before you commit a large batch.
Why convert XLF to QTS?
The practical trigger for this conversion is usually a mismatch: with .xlf, verbose — several lines of markup per string. Switching to .qts buys you context grouping gives translators genuine information about where a string appears, which is why it is the better fit for translating a Qt or KDE desktop application. Because the conversion runs locally, trying it costs nothing but a few seconds of compute on your own machine.
XLF vs QTS at a glance
| Aspect | XLIFF 1.2 (.xlf) | Qt Linguist TS (.qts) |
|---|---|---|
| Format type | Text-based — characters and structure, so there is no visual quality loss | Text-based — characters and structure, so there is no visual quality loss |
| How it stores data | the root xliff element declares a version; file elements carry source-language and target-language attributes | the root <TS> element carries a version and the target language; <context> groups messages under a <name>, conventionally the class that contains them |
| Strongest at | sending strings to a translation agency and getting reviewed work back | translating a Qt or KDE desktop application |
| Weak spot | verbose — several lines of markup per string | the .ts extension collides with TypeScript, which breaks naive tooling constantly |
| Metadata | unit identifiers, source and target text and the declared source/target languages are preserved. Translation state, notes and inline placeholder markup are not carried into flat key-value formats, which have nowhere to record them | source strings and translations are preserved, keyed on the source text. Context grouping, source locations, the unfinished/vanished state attribute and numerus plural forms are not represented in flat catalog targets |
Pick QTS as the output
Select .qts in the output menu next to each file. The menu only offers targets this engine can genuinely produce, so if QTS is selectable, the route is real and validated.
Convert on your device
Press Convert. The font tables are parsed and rewritten locally with fonteditor-core; glyph outlines, hinting, and kerning survive the trip.
Verify and download
Each result is signature-checked before the download unlocks, so a failed encode can never masquerade as a valid QTS file. Outputs keep the original filename with the .qts extension.
XLF to QTS questions, answered
Will converting XLF to QTS lose quality?
There is no visual quality to lose — xlf is text-oriented and qts is text-oriented, so the question is structural fidelity. Text, ordering, and basic structure are preserved; complex layout, embedded objects, and styling beyond the target's model are simplified.
Is it private to convert XLF files here?
Yes — the .xlf file is processed inside your browser tab and never uploaded. The font tables are parsed and rewritten locally with fonteditor-core; glyph outlines, hinting, and kerning survive the trip. Close the tab and the file is gone from memory.
Where will the QTS file work?
Qt Linguist, Qt Creator and KDE's Lokalize read .ts natively, and the larger translation platforms support it. Elsewhere it is rarely recognised — and the extension collision means generic tools frequently mistake it for TypeScript. Novus Convert keys entries on the source text, rejects documents with a doctype or custom entities, and converts to and from the other localization formats.
Will the QTS file be bigger or smaller than my XLF?
It depends on the content: the root <TS> element carries a version and the target language; <context> groups messages under a <name>, conventionally the class that contains them. Convert one representative file first and compare before batch-processing a large set.
What happens to the metadata in my XLF file?
In .xlf, unit identifiers, source and target text and the declared source/target languages are preserved. Translation state, notes and inline placeholder markup are not carried into flat key-value formats, which have nowhere to record them. Re-encoding through the browser pipeline does not carry embedded metadata into the output, which doubles as a privacy scrub — check the exported file if you specifically need tags preserved.
Can I convert QTS back to XLF?
Yes — the reverse route exists as a separate tool. Bear in mind that round-tripping .xlf → .qts → .xlf is not a perfect undo when any lossy step is involved; keep your original if fidelity matters.