Creating a Project

A Prism project is simply a folder on your computer. Unlike other CAT tools that require you to create a proprietary project file, Prism works with any existing directory.

How It Works

Select a folder containing the files you want to translate.
Prism scans the folder and detects translatable files (.docx, .xlsx, .xliff, .md, .json, .html, .txt, etc.).
A hidden .prism directory is created inside your project folder. This contains the local SQLite database that stores your segments, Translation Memory, and project settings.

The .prism Directory

All Prism data is stored locally in .prism/ within your project folder. This includes your translation database (project.db), settings, and cached resources. Because everything is local, your original files are never modified until you explicitly export.

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Tip

Prism automatically maintains a detailed history of your translations in the background. While traditional version control (like Git) isn't used for translation states, your past edits and segment histories are always safely preserved within the database.