J2EE Internationalization and Localization

by Greg Murray

Enterprises are going global. Large organizations are expanding their reach across continents and cultures. Even small, family-owned companies are finding new customer bases and supply chain partners in parts of the world that they would not previously have considered. The Internet provides the communications backbone for increasing global interconnectedness.

To operate in a global arena, information systems must address a number of additional fundamental requirements, including:

• Language requirements--Users of a global application may speak any of dozens of languages. The relationship between geographic region and language spoken is complex; applications targeted at a single country often require multiple language interfaces. Representation of such quantities as numbers, dates, times, and currency vary by region.
• Cultural concerns--Some cultures use their traditional calendar instead of or in addition to the Gregorian calendar. A customer's interest level in a particular product may vary by culture. Products and services that are highly sought-after in one culture may be offensive in another.
• Political differences--Countries vary in customs law and information privacy requirements. Some governments place limitations on ideas, images, or speech.
• Financial considerations--Currencies are not necessarily freely convertible. Forms of payment may differ; for example, not all customers can be assumed to have a credit card or purchase order number. Governments have different requirements for customs restrictions, tariffs, and taxes.
• Geographical factors--Product pricing, available shipping modes, and delivery time may vary by both supply and product delivery location.

These are just a few of the scores of issues that arise when doing business in a global environment. This chapter presents techniques for creating flexible international J2EE applications and explains Java platform internationalization APIs.