Internationalisation patterns


Schema design for a global audience

Problem

Data structures may be based on local cultural assumptions, or known falsehoods.

Solution

There are a number of lists of 'falsehoods programmers believe' that provide a useful corrective to assumptions that might otherwise make it tricky to use data structures to represent names, addresses, locations or other information from particular parts of the world.


Examples for a global audience

Problem

Examples may be less relevant outside of the context they were originally written in.

Solution

Consider the cultural relevance of the examples used in documentation, or explore whether examples can be generated using tools that support localisation.