Re: Internationalization: How to bring the locale in line

FROM : Uli Zappe
DATE : Fri Nov 05 21:42:10 2004

Am 05.11.2004 um 21:23 schrieb zeichensprecher:

> why don't you just localize your app?


Well, I *do* localize my app, otherwise I wouldn't have to bother with
this.

The problem arises because it's not practical to localize this specific
app in *all* languages that are supported on Mac OS X.

> Or why don't you just let your app open the preferences tab with the
> number-settings and let the user choose.


Because then she would change her settings for *all* applications. The
point is that they should be changed *only* for apps that are not
available in the preferred language.

> I don't think also (like all the others responded to you), that
> interfering with common systemwide settings is a good idea.


It is a good idea when the common system-wide settings leave too little
choice (only *one* number and date formatting for all apps, no matter
in what GUI language).

As a user, I find it totally confusing when English-GUI apps honor my
German locale settings apart from metrics and currencies. I consider
this a HI bug. It's just that as a user, I have no way to tell Mac OS X
that I want a different behavior.

> There are far more options to handle this (by an informal box, written
> in the manual, in the online-help, the downloadPage, a window-note, a
> "tip of the day" or a hundret thousand other possiblities). Each of
> them is better than screwing up conventions instead of informing the
> user properly.


I beg to differ. This is something the users of this specific app
shouldn't have to bother with - that would be total overkill in this
case.

           Bye
                   Uli
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