HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Why NLS? A well-written application program manipulates data and presents it appropriately for its use. Programs written with the intention of providing a friendly user interface often make assumptions about the local customs and language of the end user. Program interface and processing requirements vary from country to country, or possibly within a country. Most existing software does not take this into account and is appropriate for use only in the country or locality in which it is written. The solution to this problem is to design application programs that can be easily localized. Localization is the adaptation of a software application or system for use in different countries or local environments. The end user's native language, customs, and/or data processing requirements may differ from those in the environment of the software developer. End users benefit from application programs which interact with them in their native language and conform to their local customs. Native language refers to the user's first language (learned as a child), such as Finnish, Portuguese, or Japanese. Local customs refer to conventions such as local date, time, and currency formats. Traditionally, localization has been achieved by modifying a program for each specific country. Applications designed with localization in mind provide a better solution. Localization can then be accomplished with (ideally) no modification of code at all. An applications designer must write the application program with built-in provisions for localization. Functions that depend on local language or custom cannot be hard-coded. For example, all messages and prompts must be stored in an external file or catalog. Character comparisons and upshifting must be accomplished by external system-level routines or instructions. The external files and catalogs can be translated, and the program localized without rewriting or recompiling the application program. NLS provides the tools for an applications designer/programmer to produce localized applications. These tools may include architecture support, peripheral support, and software facilities within the operating systems and subsystems. NLS addresses the internal functions of a program (for example, sorting) and its user interface (for example, messages and formats).