Re: Datasheet-flation?

On 11/24/2024 7:41 PM, Carlos E.R. wrote:

We use a mixed language (Spain).

I thought there were *several*.  Or, are these "nonofficial"
or simply treated as dialects?

If you use software like Libre Office spreadsheets, numbers are automatically printed in the local style, unless you specify to use some other locale, say British. But then you get other problems, like wrong spelling, or wrong monetary unit. You might choose a customized locale so that only numbers are USA style, but then it might print dollars instead of euros...
 It is not that simple.

Nope!  L10N/I18N is not a "checkbox" activity that you can bolt onto
a product after it is complete.  You have to design FOR it so you
don't end up using buffers sized for a different "notion" of the
item you want to display/process, etc.
And, what about arabic, hebrew, chinese, etc.?
Note how many words have plural forms that differ from their singular forms.
Or verbs that change based on their subjects.  (i.e., if you are
generating error messages, prompts, etc.)

On another era, when we started to use calculators, we started to use the dot for decimals, instead of the comma. This was a problem with strict teachers.

The most common "calculator" problem is the layout of the 10-key
as it differs from telephones.

Then you have cash registers...
 Oh, programming language. Some decades ago, Telefónica had the software translated. The commands of the Lucent machine (5ESSS) were in Spanish. That must have been really expensive to do.

Imagine designing data entry mechanisms to tolerate this variety
of options.  How big (and what shape) should the "text box" be,
on the screen?  Where should the cursor be placed, initially?