Software Testing Strategy

Localization Testing Software

Localization Testing Software


Quite simply, localization means to adapt a website or a software program to a foreign area. It is also called as internationalization or acceptance testing. This would entail making several changes in the website, of which the most significant would be change in the language. But that is not all that needs to be changed. In many cases, the entire look of the website needs to be changed, including the colors and the fonts to make it more suitable to foreign tastes. Some pictures would need to be changed also, and local references would have to be included. An important part of localizing a website includes changing all the pricing information on a website, converted to their local currency, along with their regional tax laws and benefits. It would also become necessary to include shipping charges that would be relevant.

Localization is a sensitive activity. When localizing, you need to be very careful about the language you use and the facts and figures you put in. What works in one country may not be true in another. Localized websites must be checked by a local expert to see that it will not hurt the sentiments of the foreign public, either in religion or in politics. At the same time, it is important to maintain the essence of the content that is being spoken about. Nothing should be lost in translation. That is why it is said that localization is a very labor intensive task, and needs to be done and scrutinized comprehensively.

There are some aspects of the website or the software program that must be taken into account when proceeding with the localization task. You have to be familiar with the keyboard characters and the ASCII codes of the foreign language you are working with. It is indeed important to be familiar with the language of the region you are localizing your software or website for, or you could take assistance from someone who knows. You will have to change the tabs, the content and even the presentation of your product in some ways. But you must also take note of the not-so-obvious things that need to be localized. Here are included the error messages that might occur. Some people forget adapting the error messages because they are not so prominently present. Also, if you have set a directory for checking spellings and grammar on your website, you will need to change it to suit to the new location.

Many webmasters and software manufacturers use localization testing software or acceptance testing software in order to check up on how the localization task is achieved. Localization testing software can find and fix language errors, and can notify the webmaster of any potential snags in the internationalization. It also helps to test the whole website or software product in a short amount of time. Acceptance testing software is expensive, but it is worth the expense for companies that are planning to diversify into an entirely new area of operations. It becomes indispensable for companies that are branching out into many nations at once, which is popularly known as globalization localization. Globalization localization will need a mammoth amount of localization testing, and software is essential for ensuring the completion of work in a reasonable amount of time.

An important part of localization is quality assurance testing, where the overall quality of the finished product would be checked, and not just the translation part of it. There are many professionals in the market who would perform such quality assurance testing for you when you are internationalizing your product, and they would provide you with different services according to your requirements. Quality assurance testing must be done at both ends - in your own country as well as the country for which the product is being customized.

Of course the most important advantage of localization is to ensure entry into a foreign market becoming one of them. It is a very necessary act for companies that are planning to expand globally. Localization also helps webmasters and software developers to find out glitches in their original products and to fix them. Hence, if localization testing is done comprehensively with functional testing software, the localized product could turn out superior than the original product. But it must be checked thoroughly that the functional testing software is the best that is available in the market.

Software Testing Strategy >> Privacy Policy