The TBX framework defined by ISO 30042:2008 is designed to support various types of processes involving terminological data, including analysis, descriptive representation, dissemination, and interchange (exchange), in various computer environments. The primary purpose of TBX is for interchange of terminological data. It is limited in its ability to represent presentational markup. Intended application areas include translation and authoring.

TBX is modular in order to support the varying types of terminological data, or data-categories, that are included in different terminological databases (termbases). TBX includes two modules: a core structure, and a formalism for identifying a set of data-categories and their constraints, both expressed in XML. The term TBX, when used alone, refers to the framework consisting of these two interacting modules.

To maximize interoperability of the actual terminological data, TBX also provides a default set of data-categories that are commonly used in terminological databases. However, subsets or supersets of the default set of data-categories can be used within the TBX framework to support specific user requirements.