What does Internationalization mean? And how is it different from Localization?

The word “Internationalization”, usually shortened to “i18n” due to the number of characters of the word, is the process that needs to be undertaken by any Company that wishes to start selling its products or services in a foreign market BEFORE Localization can happen.

Let’s suppose that the people from Company X want to start selling their product in over 80 markets. The common response from the Marketing Team would normally be: “ok, we need to get this translated”. Someone from the IT Team would extract all translatable strings, this will be sent out for Localization, and once this is back, in Spanish, Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi, etc.

“Houston, we have a problem…”

The reason for this is that there was probably no Internationalization step before Localization. 

Every language has different conventions, whether regarding special characters, left-right directionality, the way numbers and figures are expressed, or the encoding used for text.

Internationalization lays the groundwork for Localization. It is the necessary step that allows the company to prepare the material before it reaches the translation process. You’re basically greasing and flouring the content so it won’t stick or fall apart once it gets out of the localization oven.

Why is Internationalization important?

Because it will save you from endless bug logging and multiple testing steps after the localization process is completed.

Some examples of what Internationalization can fix:

• Different “scripts” for different languages that use different characters.
• Writing direction, which is reversed (right-to-left) for several Asian languages.
• Different numeral systems.
• User Interface buttons that cannot accommodate the entire localized string.
• Different formats or requirements for addresses, postal codes, or state/province fields.

A classic example: international postal codes and telephone numbers. When you find yourself filling a webform and you get that red warning message that your zip code is missing something, that’s a clear example of a lack of an Internationalization step. 

The form was originally created for the US, later expanded to foreign markets but no one thought about changing the requirements so you can enter postal codes or telephone numbers with less or more numbers than the conventions applicable to the US.

Does this mean that you always need to complete an Internationalization step before Localization?

No, not at all. Internationalization is mostly carried out for Apps, Websites, Software, and other elements that need a programming step involved so the text can be rendered accurately after localization is completed. For most other uses, a smart and efficient Localization step should be enough.

If you need more info about Internationalization or need to know whether you should implement it in your localization workflow, feel free to reach out!