Localization Testing

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Localization testing

Localization testing is a test type in software testing that tests how well a software adapts to a specific culture or locale, such as language, date and time formats, currency symbols, and number formatting. Localization testing tests the content and user interface of the software and verifies that they are accurate and appropriate for the end users.

Localization testing

• You do the localization testing of your online news website by testing its content and user interface for different countries, such as USA, UK, India, etc. You test the language, spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. of the content and the layout, design, color, font, etc. of the user interface for each country served by your website.
• You perform the localization testing of your e-commerce mobile app by testing its content and user interface for different regions, such as Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, etc. You test the currency, payment methods, shipping options, tax rates, etc. of the app for each region supported by your app.
• You do the localization testing of your educational software by testing its features and content quality for different cultures, such as Spanish, French, etc. You test the translation, pronunciation, symbols, images, etc. of the software for each culture.
• You perform the localization testing of your gaming software by testing its graphics, sound, speed, controls, etc. for each supported country.

Tips for localization testing

• Identify the localization requirements of your software.
• Design the localization test cases that cover the end to end test scenarios for your software.
• Obtain or get the test inputs and test outputs for each supported locale. 
• Set up the native localized test environment.
  
• Use localization testing tools, such as Selenium WebDriver, Locize, TestComplete and LingoHub, and techniques to set up, execute and automate your localization test cases in your test environment.
  
• Analyze and the localization test results and report any localization defects or recommendations.

FAQ (interview questions and answers)

1. What is the difference between localization testing and globalization testing?
   Localization testing is a type of software testing that tests how well a software adapts to a specific culture or locale. Globalization testing is a type of software testing that tests how well a software system or application can be used globally (by any culture or locale).
2. What challenges did you face in localization testing?
   Finding locale experts or translators, managing test inputs and outputs in different languages, handling different formats and standards, and finding minor localization issues visually.
   
3. Is localization testing a type of functional or non-functional testing?
   It has both aspects. Functional testing involves testing the functionality and features of the software for a specific culture or locale. Non-functional testing involves testing the usability, performance, reliability, etc. of the software for a specific culture or locale.
4. How do you perform pseudo-localization testing?
   By using fake or dummy text to simulate different languages and scripts. This helps to identify any hard-coded strings or layout issues in the software before the actual localization testing.
   

Remember to just comment if you have any doubts or queries.