Internationalization and localization are ways to adapt computer software (often created in the United States or Europe) to other languages and cultures. The abbreviations I18n and L10n are sometimes used for internationalization and localization, respectively (the numbers in each word refer to the number of letters in the alphabet between the letters). The two processes are complementary.
Internationalization involves designing programs so they will be as easy as possible to adapt to a variety of cul-tural settings. For example, the Unicode character set is preferred because it can accommodate most of the world’s alphabets and many other characters. Program code can also be modularized such that date, time, and other formats for different countries can be loaded in and used as desired.
Localization involves changing a number of aspects of a software product (including user interface elements and online help) to reflect the language and culture of the intended market. Some of this is fairly straightforward: for-mats for numbers, currency, date, and time; text collation and sorting order; and use of the keyboard (including spe-cial keys). To the extent the program has been appropriately generalized (internationalized), it becomes easier to local-ize it for each setting.
Other aspects of localization can be subtler. Icons, for example, may have to be changed because their supposedly “universal” meaning would not translate well into the local culture. Documentation may have to change wording to avoid conveying ideas that may be confusing or even offen-sive. Even more substantial localization may be required if the target environment (such as the education system) is substantially different from that in the country where the software was written. Generally this cannot be done auto-matically: the program must be reviewed by someone who is knowledgeable about the target language or culture.
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