Projects/Usability/HIG/localization

Purpose

KDE address a world wide audience and is therefore fully localized. Localization means to adopt language, text layout, numerals as well as cultural aspects and regulatory compliance.

Guidelines

• Provide bidirectional mode dependent to language (left-to-right vs. right-to-left).
• Allow translation with multiple plural forms.
• Design GUI with enough room for long captions.
• Allow users to choose currency and metric system (kg vs. lb, miles vs. km)
• Take cultural comprehension of icons (Red Cross vs. Red Crescent) into account.
• Do not localize standard short-cuts.