Localization & Internationalization Testing

What is localization?
a. Adapting a (software) product to a local or regional market.
b. Goal: Appropriate linguistic and cultural aspects
c. 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.

What is Internationalization?
a. Developing a (software) product in such a way that it will be easy to adapt it to other markets (languages and cultures)
b. Goal: eliminate the need to reprogram or recompile the original program
c. Carried out by SW-Development in conjunction with Localization
d. Handing foreign text and data within a program
e. Sorting, importing and exporting text and data, correct handing of currency and data and time formats, string parsing, upper and lower case handling.
f. 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 we need consider in localization testing?
1. Testing resource files [separate strings from the code] Solution: create a pseudo build
2. String expansion: String size change breaking layout and aligment. when words or sentatences are translated into other languages, most of the time the resulting string will be either longer or shorter than the native language version of the string. Two solutions to this problem:
a. Account the space needed for string expansion, adjusting the layout of your dialog accordingly
b. Separate your dialog resources into separate dynamic libraries.

3. Data format localization:
European style:DD/MM/YY
North American style: MM/DD/YY
Currency, time and number formate, address.

4. Charater sets: ASCII or Non ASCII
Single byte character 16bit (US) 256 charaters
Double byte character 32bit(chinese) 65535 code ponits

5. Encoding: Unicode: Unicode supports many different written languages in the world all in a single character encoding. Note: For double character set, it is better to convert from Unicode to UTF8 for chinese, because UTF8 is a variable length encoding of Unicode that can be easily sent through the network via single byte streams.

Builds and installer : Creating an environment that supports a single version of your code, and multiple version of the language files.

program's installation, uninstallation in the foreign machines.

Tesing with foreign characters :
EXP:
Enter foreign text for username and password.
For entering European or Latin characters on Windows
1. Using Character Map tool
Search: star-program-accessories-accessibility-system tool-
2. escape sequences. EXP: ALT + 128

For Asia languages use what is usually called an IME (input method editor)
Chinese: I use GB encoding with pin yin inputer mode
Foreign Keyboards or On-Screen keyboard

Text filters: Program that are used to collect and manipulate data usually provide the user with a mechanism for searching and filtering that data. As a global software tester, you need to make sure that the filtering and searching capabilities of your program work correctly with foreign text. Problem; ignore the accent marks used in foreign text.
Loading, saving, importing,and exporting high and low ASCII
Asian text in program: how double charater set work
Watch the style

Two environment to test for the program in chinese:
1. In Chinese window system. (in China)
2. In English Window system with chinese language support (in USA)

Microsoft language codes:
a. CHS - Chinese Simplified
b. CHT - Chinese Traditional(Taiwan)
c. ENU - English (United States)
d. FRA - French (France)

Java Languages codes:
a. zh_CN - Chinese Simplified
b. zh_TW - Chinese Traditional(Taiwan)
c. Fr or fr_FR - English (United States)
d. en or en_US - French (France)

More need consider in localization testing:
a. Hot key.
b. Garbled in translation
c. Error message identifiers
d. Hyphenation rules
e. Spelling rules
f. Sorting rules
g. Uppercase and lowercase conversion