In this post, I’m listing localization testing checklist. This post also includes the i18n (or internationalization) test scenarios that are application for software which is supposed to be used globally. In order for such products to work properly, one has to test it for region specific compatibility. Some products have dedicated polyglot support, however, often unless tested this support is not enough. So testing the product with both localization and internationalization, you get more users to use the product.
Each software that aims to reach global set of users face certain scenarios that require additional effort on development part to pass. Before we release the product to global set of users, we have to consider negative scenarios and user-centric issues.
Here are some of the localization testing scenarios.
- Unicode support for internationalization.
- Translation verification.
- Global conceptual signs
- Operating system independent Keyboard Shortcuts
- RTL support
- Text in Images
- Language agnostic database input
- Data format support for multiple continents.
- Configuration and Compatibility Issues
- Adaptable UI Code
Let’s talk about each scenario and the way to tackle it.
Unicode Support : Does the software support unicode? In order to support localization or i18n, the software needs to have a built in unicode support.
Translation Verification: Does the translation of the UI verified by local or international language tester?
Global Conceptual Signs: Does the UI supports symbols or signs that are internationally accepted for certain actions? e.g. Stop symbol. or question mark symbol.
Keyboard Shortcuts: Does the software offers OS independent shortcuts or it has provision for OS specific shortcuts?
RTL Support : Does the software supports left to right or right to left reading within UI?
Database Compatibility : Does software accepts international language input inside database and still function properly if the language is changed? Or if the file saved in one language supports opening the file in same software with another languages support? How such crossover is handled?
Data formats: Depending on SI systems or Metric Systems input the data in multiple continents change. For example date format in US is different from UK or Asia. So how does software handles such data format changes?
Adaptable Code: Does code needs to be changed for every language? Or does code remains consistent beneath and only language support needs to be appended?
Configuration Issues: Does the software requires additional configuration for change in language?
Compatibility Issues: Does the software compatibility changes based on operating system and language? How does issue handled by product?
So answering these questions gives you idea of how to manage localization problems of the software. You also learn how to keep the UI consistent despite the changes in the language.
Here’s the localization testing checklist.
User Interface Tests
Here are some of the UI tests.
- How does the UI allows changing language?
- Does the language change affects UI?
- How does the UI reacts to the RTL support?
- How does the UI reacts to change in language and getting back to English?
- How does the hypen handled by UI after language change?
- How does the line breaks for UI titles?
Functionality Tests
- Does the UI performs as per specification despite change in language?
- Does the UI gets affected due to change in language?
- Does the hyperlinks function properly?
- Does the menu links function properly?
- Does the keyboard shortcuts perform after language change?
- Does the UI support multiple keyboards depending on the region?
- Does the input within UI support region specific characters?
- Does the input gets validated for multiple languages?
- Does the database reflects as per the language changes?
- Does the software defaults to english if no language is chosen?
Region Specific Tests
These are some region specific tests that every product needs to look at before release.
- Does the date and time format according to the region?
- Does the currency symbol according to the region?
- Does the usability symbols known within the particular region?
- Does UI action symbols (question mark, stop symbol, file, save symbol) known within the particular region?
- How the currency symbols and numbers are formatted?
- How the colors for symbols and UI are allocated for particular region?
- How the phone numbers are formatted for a particular region?
- How the region specific restriction are added for a particular region?
Language Specific Tests
- Does the translation works correctly for the UI?
- Does the translation free of errors?
- Does translation regularly updated for new features in UI?
- Does lack of translation is replaced by English by default?
- Does the lack of translation replaced by empty space or symbols?
- Does the translation of UI corrupted?
- Does the translation of UI inaccurate?
These are some of the localization tests that I found so far. You can come up with more i18n tests depending on the UI you are testing. I’d appreciate if you share your suggestion on the tests listed in this article. I am open to suggestion and comments. Please do share the article on Facebook 🙂