internationalization audits

The primary purpose of the Internationalization Audits we conduct is to locate and identify all i18n issues that may prevent your software from supporting the international user and data requirements for your targeted foreign market. Our audit process  produces a remediation plan which details the solutions to all i18n issues required prior to localizing the product (i.e. enabling), and identifying the overall i18n needs of your product and organization. I18n Labs accomplishes these audits by combining Code Analysis with Run-time Testing.

Code Analysis

An integral part of the Internationalization Audit phase is a source code review or code analysis. This code-level analysis allows for the capturing of precise issue information such as i18n design problems or the location of specific code methods causing i18n defects. This code review does not only identify i18n-related problems, but also allows us to provide the best recommendations for solving them since we can review the software framework, source code, and all dependencies. Our code analysis approach is accomplished via both manual and automated (i.e. tools-assisted) code inspection, allowing I18n Labs to accurately assess existing i18n defects and scope the effort involved to resolve them.

Run-time Evaluation

In addition to code analysis, our Internationalization Audit process also involves a run-time evaluation. This run-time analysis involves pseudo-localizing all available UI string resources, recompiling those resources and executing the test application on a targeted (localized) operating system. Our i18n consultants then proceed with a preliminary i18n testing procedure, using international sample data when necessary, to flush out any i18n defects or functional bugs that may affect your ability to support international data and users. These defects are then identified at the code level and appropriate solutions are devised. I18n solutions are prototyped before being recommended.

I18n Analysis Considerations

The I18n Audit is a comprehensive process, and I18n Labs leaves ‘no stone unturned’. Our goal is to identify any issue which may hinder your product’s ability to support another language or locale per your organization’s specific globalization requirements.  Over the course of our analysis, we’re looking for issues that may involve any of the following…

• International Formatting (i.e. date, time, number, address, currency, etc.),
• UI Display (i.e. font support, UI layout design, right-to-left considerations, etc.),
• String or Character Handling (i.e. encoding support, multi-byte & Unicode support, transcoding issues, etc.),
• Hard-coded UI Text (i.e. string resourcing),
• Locale Handling,
• Search & Sort functionality,
• Calendar Support,
• Database Migration,

…and a variety of other potential i18n-related issues. We also review any and all external dependencies, data feeds, or integrated 3rd party technologies which may affect your ability to release global-ready versions of your software.

Audit Deliverables

The primary deliverable of the Audit is a detailed analysis report which describes all i18n defects found within your software product, recommendations for resolving those issues, and a task breakdown (scope) for carrying out our recommendations at the code level. The Audit Report lays the ground work and plan for developing a truly international software product. Once you have an opportunity to review our Audit Report, a meeting is established to answer any concerns or questions you may have with our findings and recommendations, and to discuss next steps. Following this review, I18n Labs presents a remediation plan & proposal describing the i18n code remediation effort.

I18n Analysis Alternatives

The I18n Audit is a crucial (and likely the most important) step in the i18n process. However, in some cases a much more proactive approach to i18n is required and the advice of i18n experts is needed prior to embarking on any product or source code development. So if your organization is in the design phase of development then an I18n Audit may not apply. In this scenario, we offer I18n Consulting as opposed to in-depth code evaluations. Rather than analyzing source code (which may not exist yet), our i18n consultants focus instead on helping you create your i18n requirements, design specs, architectural layouts, and testing environments to better prepare your software for international compliancy. Other potential service options might include I18n Training, and/or I18n Testing, depending on your specific needs and requirements. Whatever your situation, I18n Labs can partner with you to ensure your internationalization plans are a success.