Creating successful software for worldwide use requires attention to locale details ranging from date and time to numeric formatting.
Introduction to locales -- executive overview
"There is an increasing focus on worldwide software usage, driven in part by the rapid rise of the Internet and distributed networks. Software now needs to be global in nature; it has to satisfy the language, culture, and character data encoding needs of a wide variety of users. Paradoxically, while meeting this need, the software must appear as if has been custom designed to conform to the individual needs of each user. Locales provide a mechanism for delivering the cultural preferences of the user."
-- Baldev S. Soor
Senior Software Developer
Globalization Center of Competency
IBM Software Group
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