Task overview: Globalizing applications

An application that can present information to users according to regional cultural conventions is said to be globalized: The application can be configured to interact with users from different localities in culturally appropriate ways. In a globalized application, a user in one region sees error messages, output, and interface elements in the requested language. Date and time formats, as well as currencies, are presented appropriately for users in the specified region. A user in another region sees output in the conventional language or format for that region. Globalization consists of two phases: internationalization (enabling an application component for multicultural support) and localization (translating and implementing a specific regional convention). This product supports globalization through the use of its localizable-text API and internationalization service.

• Make sure the server runtime environment is properly configured.

  For more information about supported locales and character encodings, see Work with locales and character encodings.

• Implement message catalogs in the application using the localizable-text API.

  This product supports the maintenance and deployment of centralized message catalogs for the output of properly formatted, language-specific (localized) interface strings.

  For more information about the localizable-text API, see Task overview: Internationalizing interface strings (localizable-text API).

• Implement more extensive locale support using the internationalization service.

  With the internationalization service, we can manage the distribution of the internationalization information, or internationalization context, that is necessary to support globalized Java EE application components. Supported application components also include web service client environments and web service-enabled enterprise beans.

  For more information about the internationalization service, see Task overview: Internationalizing application components (internationalization service).

Subtopics

• Globalization
  An application that can present information to users according to regional cultural conventions is said to be globalized: The application can be configured to interact with users from different localities in culturally appropriate ways. In a globalized application, a user in one region sees error messages, output, and interface elements in the requested language. Date and time formats, as well as currencies, are presented appropriately for users in the specified region. A user in another region sees output in the conventional language or format for that region. Globalization consists of two phases: internationalization (enabling an application component for multicultural support) and localization (translating and implementing a specific regional convention).

• Work with locales and character encodings
  Internationalization support for this product relies on that provided by the Java Platform, Standard Edition (JSE). Support varies by platform.

• Language versions offered by this product
  This product is offered in several languages, as enabled by the operating platform on which the product is installed.

• Globalization: Resources for learning
  Use links in this topic to find relevant supplemental information about globalization. The information resides on IBM and non-IBM Internet sites, whose sponsors control the technical accuracy of the information.