Localization Testing

What is localization (L10N)

Adapting a (software) product to a local or regional market.
Goal: Appropriate linguistic and cultural aspects
Performed by translators, localizers, language engineers

Localization

The aspect of development and testing relating to the translation of the software and ite prsentation to the end user. This includes translating the program, choosing appropriate icons and graphics, and other cultural considerations. It also may include translating the program's help files and the documentation. You could think of localization as pertaining to the presentation of your program; the things the user sees.


Internationalization (I18N)

Developing a (software) product in such a way that it will be easy to adapt it to other markets (languages and cultures)
Goal: eliminate the need to reprogram or recompile the original program
Carried out by SW-Development in conjunction with Localization
Handing foreign text and data within a program
Sorting, importing and exporting text and data, correct handing of currency and data and time formats, string parsing, upper and lower case handling.
Separating strings from the source code, and making sure that the foreign language string have enough space in your user interface to be displayed correctly

Internationalization

The aspect of development and testing relating to handling foreign text and data within a program. This would include sorting, importing and exporting text and data, correct handling of currency and date and time formats, string parsing, upper and lower case handling, and so forth. It also includes the task of separating strings (or user interface text) from the source code, and making sure that the foreign language strings have enough space in your user interface to be displayed correctly. You could think of internationalization as pertaining ot the underlying functionality and workings of your program.


What is I18N/L10N stand for ?

These two abbreviations mean internationalization and localization respectively. Using the word "internationalization" as an example; here is how these abbreviations are derived. First, you take the first letter of the word you want to abbreviate; in this case the letter "I". Next, you take the last letter in the word; in this case the letter "N". These become the first and last letters in the abbreviation. Finally, you count the remaining letters in the word between the first and last letter. In this case. "nternationalizatio" has 18 characters in it. se we will plug the number 18 between the "I" and "N"; thus I18N.


I18N and L10N

I18N and L10N comprise the whole of the offort involved in enabling a product.
I18N is "Stuff" you have to do once.
L10N is "stuff you have to do over and over again.
The more stuff you push into I18N out of L10N, the less complicated and expensive the process becomes.