Sun Software Product Internationalization Taxonomy

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4.2.3.4 Other Formatting and Layout

Description

Computer applications process and format structured data to simplify tasks for users. For example, a business letter wizard in word processing software requests a sender and receiver address and then formats them into a business letter automatically, before the user even types a word. Applications should be aware that such formatting methods can be culture-specific. A provider is expected to have a set of interfaces to format and process structured text. A consumer deals with abstract text values. A provider also makes culture-specific formatting transparent to a consumer. For most of the formatting issues listed in previous sections, an application might just fill a consumer role. The provider might be the underlying operating system or a standard library. If an application intends to perform text formatting other than that which is available from an external provider, then it must play the role of provider as well as consumer. Applications can use the following steps to format structured data that is not listed in previous sections of this document.

1. Verify that the formatting is language-specific or country-specific. If the formatting is not sensitive to any language or country that the application is intended for, application designers can skip the following steps.
2. Identify all languages and countries that the application is intended for.
3. Define the provider interface. The interface should be abstract enough to handle all the formatting differences between languages.

NOTE: The consumer makes no assumption about format. It represents abstract data and the provider handles the formatting.

Consider, for example, the paper sizes that a printer recognizes. The application provides a choice of paper sizes in response to a request to print a document. Standard paper sizes vary from one country to another. The consumer application should be configured to print the document on any given paper size. The provider supplies all the paper sizes allowed for a given locale to the consumer. The consumer then takes the size from the provider and formats the data.

Command Line Interface

All data that a user enters is in some format. For non-technical commands, the input data is often in a locale-specific format. A locale-specific format might also be required for output data.

Character Interface

See "Command Line Interface."

Graphical Interface

In a graphical interface, the data is layed out on the screen. Many layouts are locale-specific, whether it is due to the data itself or the layout in general.

Application Protocols

For storage, a single internal format is typically used, with some form of locale indicator for data. This is to enable data formatting on retrieval. Interchange is similar to application protocols. See "Application Protocols."

Application Progamming Interfaces (APIs)

APIs take in data for processing and return the data. If the data comes in in a locale-specific format, the API must be locale-sensitive to ensure that the format is understood and the data can be correctly parsed. For output data, APIs can do either of the following:

• Publish whether the data is formatted according to the locale
• Provide one format and expect the calling application to reformat for the locale

Requirements for Compliance

The interface between the provider and consumer must be locale-independent. If an application were to be extended to handle a new formatting procedure, the provider must be able to extend the functionality without changing any interface between the provider and consumer.

Command Line Interface

Determine whether data input and output formats are locale-specific. If they are, then locale-sensitive interfaces must be built into the application. Since this type of data is less common, provider software or libraries might not be available; therefore an application must function as both a provider and consumer.

Character Interface

See "Command Line Interface."

Graphical Interface

Make layouts flexible for rearrangment based on locale. Determine whether there are sufficient fields for display for all supported locales.

Application Protocols

Allow for specification of locale, charset, or other related information necessary to correctly parse the data.

Storage and Interchange

To enable data to be retrieved and changed into the correct locale format, store locale information with the data. Interchange is similar to application protocols. See "Application Protocols."

Application Programming Interfaces

Consumers should supply locale information to providers to either accompany supplied data or to retrieve properly formatted data. Providers must provide locale-sensitive interfaces to allow for varying locale formats.