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).
-  Make sure your GUI displays correctly in languages written from
   right-to-left
-  Allow translation with `multiple plural forms <http://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/manual/html_mono/gettext.html#Plural-forms>`_.
-  Design GUI with enough room for long captions.
-  Respect system-wide locale settings (unit systems, date and time
   format, currencies etc.).
-  Take cultural comprehension of icons (Red Cross vs. Red Crescent)
   into account.
-  Don't localize standard `short-cuts`_.
-  Be aware of intercultural (mis-)comprehension of acronyms.

.. _short-cuts: KDE_Visual_Design_Group/HIG/Keyboard_Shortcuts