Supporting languages and regions.
WHAT TO DO FIRST
Move every user-facing string into localisable resources.
WHAT THE MODERN APPROACH PROVIDES
A single catalogue, managed within the development environment, with the compiler finding strings automatically.
WHAT TO NEVER DO
Build sentences by joining fragments.
WHY
Word order differs between languages.
WHAT TO USE
Complete messages with placeholders, and proper plural handling.
WHY PLURALS NEED SPECIAL HANDLING
Languages have different numbers of plural forms, and a simple singular-or-plural check is wrong for many.
WHAT ELSE IS LOCALE-DEPENDENT
Dates, times, numbers and currency Sorting Name and address formats Text direction
WHAT TO USE FOR FORMATTING
The system formatters, never manual construction.
WHAT TO SUPPORT FOR RIGHT-TO-LEFT LANGUAGES
Leading and trailing constraints, rather than left and right.
WHAT TO TEST
The interface with the longest translations A right-to-left language, using the system's testing option Pseudo-localisation, which reveals unlocalised strings
WHAT ELSE TO LOCALISE
The application name, where appropriate The store listing
WHAT TO CONSIDER LOCALLY
Whether regional formats display correctly for your market.
