internationalization (i18n) sufficiency testing presented to seattle area software quality assurance...

Internationalization (I18N) Sufficiency Testing

Presented to Seattle Area Software Quality Assurance

Group

June 19 , 2003

What We Will Cover

Globalization and Its Components

Pre-Testing Checks

Test Environments

Test Checklists

Test Execution

Pseudo Localization Testing

SASQAG: Internationalization Testing

Globalization

Globalization• The process of designing, developing, and engineering products that

can be launched worldwide• Two major Components – Internationalization & Localization

• Internationalization (I18N)

– Designing/developing software so it can be adapted to various locales and regions

• Localization (L10N)

– Process of adapting software by translating text and adding locale –specific components

I18N Sufficiency Testing • Ensures software has been properly internationalized according to

design rules and is READY to be localized.


Benefits of I18N Testing

The main goal of I18N testing is to find potentially show stopping software problems before the application is translated and localized into various languages

I18N sufficiency testing must begin as early in the testing cycle as possible

I18N sufficiency testing does not require an in-depth knowledge of many locale specific issues, a fully localized environment, or native linguistic skills.


Pre-Testing Checklist

Step 1: Review developmental specs to determine whether they accounted for international considerations

• Code review

• English language compatibility?

• DB or Unicode enabled from the ground up?

Product Rules• Menu and dialogue box designs; Did they leave room for text

expansion?

Source Code Control Rules• All editions are using Unicode and/or DBCS based on a single

executable

Coding Conventions• Code should NOT assume that characters are 8 or 16 bit


Setting Up Your Test Environment

Step 1: Prepare the required SW and HW• Localized Operating Systems

• Localized HW

• Localized third party SW utilized by the product you are testing

• Verify that the network/HW peripherals that are needed to run the product are capable of running in a multi-locale environment

Step 2: Install the Environment

Step 3: Configure the Environment• Setting up machines for multi-boot

• Using test bed images

• Managing the test bed matrix

• Maintain an English Reference Environment (Whenever Possible)


Setting up Your Test Environment Continued

Step 4: Define the Configuration Management Process• Document the configuration of each machine in the environment to

ensure that you are using the right products to test your application

• Detail the process for saving and restoring the multi-boot and test bed imagining


Test Checklist

Items needed to Create the I18N Test Plan• Installation/Configuration Guides• English test plan and test cases• Online Help/User Guides

During Test Plan Creation ensure that you:• Check all areas in which a user can enter, modify, print, edit, or copy

data• Create test cases to verify that target language characters can be

correctly entered and displayed• Build in non English data and environment testing• Verify that a user can read/write to the target platform file system

Set Up a Testing Priority Level• Types of testing (I18N, LVT, etc.)• Categories (documentation, help files, screen shots, etc.)• Locale Priority ( i.e Chinese then French)


Test Checklist Part 2

Testing Team and Development Team Interaction• It is important for Test Engineers to understand the scope of any code

changes made by the development team

• For example, areas of the code that are unchanged during I18N should have less emphasis during the test phase


Test Execution

1. International Setup Testing• Installer Issues

2. Testing International Character/Text Support • Edit fields can display extended/multi-byte characters

• Cut/Copy/Paste/Drag extended character testing

• Euro Symbol Testing

• Unicode Character testing

• IME Testing

3. Files can be saved with extended ASCII and multi-byte character names

4. Files named with extended ASCII and multi-byte characters can be opened or deleted


Test Execution Part 2

5. Files or OLE objects named with extended and multi-byte characters can be cut, copied, pasted, and embedded in documents or other containers

6. Files named with and containing extended ASCII and multi-byte characters can be printed

7. Testing Internationally Local Conventions • Time/date settings

• Currency testing

• Sort order/Collation

• Address/name fields

8. Other considerations • Geopolitical issues/locale-sensitive issues


Pseudo Localization Testing Pseudo Localization is a process to ensure that three main issues

are covered within a software product UI.• Non Extracted Strings (hard coded strings)

• Truncations

• Concatenated Strings

Pseudo-localization simulates the process of localizing products, by completing many of the localization tasks without actually using translation.

Also called Localizability Process


Pseudo Loc FAQs

When do you perform Pseudo Loc?• During core code development prior to localization

• Typically multiple cycles

How do you perform Pseudo Loc?• Extract the strings into a resource file

• Add extended characters to simulate European and Asian languages


An Example of Pseudo Localization


Questions and Answers

Conclusions

Questions Anyone?• I may have an answer

• I may also have a heart attack


Thank You and Resources

Thanks SASQAG for asking me to come here tonight

White Papers available on our website, www.symbio-group.com

If you have additional questions, I can be reached at [email protected]


internationalization (i18n) sufficiency testing presented to seattle area software quality assurance...

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