Internationalization and Localization - Nomenclature

Nomenclature

The support of multiple languages by computer systems can be considered a continuum between localization ("L10n"), through multilingualization (or "m17n"), to internationalization ("i18n").

• A localized system has been adapted or converted for use in a particular locale (other than the one it was originally developed for), including the language of the user interface (UI), input, and display, and features such as time/date display and currency. Each instance of the system only supports a single locale, and there is no explicit support for languages that are not part of that locale (although the character set may coincidentally be usable for other languages).
• Multilingualized software supports multiple languages for display and input, but has a single UI language which cannot be changed after installation of the software. Multi-locale support for other features like date, time, number, and currency formats varies as the system tends towards full internationalization. At present, most multi-lingual software relies for these features on the host operating system (e.g., Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X) of the machine on which the software runs, and may thus be able to support character sets for different languages within the same document. In general, a multilingualized system is intended for use in one specific locale, but is capable of handling multilingual content as data.
• An internationalized system is equipped for use in a range of "locales" (or by users of multiple languages), by allowing the co-existence of several languages and character sets for input, display, and UI. In particular, a system may not be considered internationalized in the fullest sense unless the UI language is selectable by the user at runtime. Full internationalization may extend beyond support for multiple languages and orthography to compliance with jurisdiction-specific legislation (in respect of copyright, for instance) and other non-linguistic conventions.

The distinction arises because it is significantly more difficult to create a multi-lingual UI than simply to support the character sets and keyboards needed to express multiple languages. To internationalize a UI, every text string employed in interaction must be translated into all supported languages; then all output of literal strings, and literal parsing of input in UI code must be replaced by hooks to i18n libraries.

It should be noted that "internationalized" does not necessarily mean that a system can be used absolutely anywhere, since simultaneous support for all possible locales is both practically almost impossible and commercially very hard to justify. In many cases an internationalized system includes full support only for the most spoken languages, plus any others of particular relevance to the application.