软件本地化的准则.pdfVIP

The Basics of Software Internationalization Dan Moore To do it right, start from the basics… And before doing anything else! Software internationalization builds support for multiple locales in an application, where a locale is “[a] subset of a user’s environment that defines conventions for a specified culture,” (Cf. /doc_link/en_US/a_doc_lib/aixins/insgdrf/glossary.htm) typically including language. Supporting multiple locales lets the user choose the most appropriate one, allowing for easier use of the given application. It is best to complete the internationalization process as the application is being built, since adding in such support after the fact can be expensive and complicated. In the following article, we will examine the major internationalized components of a web application, and extend some principles to all software internationalization efforts. This application was built in Java with an Oracle back end, primarily by Zia Consulting (), and provides quotes for equipment to people in 27 countries. The software libraries referenced in this article will be Java standard libraries; other languages may or may not have the same level of support. The three main phases involved in internationalizing an application are: • finding the user’s preferred locale within the set of supported locales • displaying information appropriate to the chosen locale • operational concerns Please note that internationalization is only half of the process—when the application can handle different locales, locale-specific data and information must be provided. That process is called localization, and this article will not cover the topic. Finding the Appropriate Locale First, a user must be associated with a locale. This is a configuration setting like any other. Allowing the user to explicitly choose the appropriate locale is crucial. There are some hints that the user’s computer can provide: in Microsoft Windows, for instance, there is a