From a926c03b6fbfa643ee82d846a85acb1bbc8d604b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: damabe <40476441+damabe@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2025 09:25:18 -0700 Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Policheck updates --- globalization/input/odia-ime.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/globalization/input/odia-ime.md b/globalization/input/odia-ime.md index 14afef3ef..afba2a6ab 100644 --- a/globalization/input/odia-ime.md +++ b/globalization/input/odia-ime.md @@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ ms.date: 06/19/2024 # Odia IME -If you need to enter some text in Odia (also known as Oriya), Windows includes an Input Method Editor and keyboard layouts that let you enter text using the Odia script while using a typical keyboard with 101-105 keys. Using the IME doesn't require changing your current Windows display language. +If you need to enter some text in Odia, Windows includes an Input Method Editor and keyboard layouts that let you enter text using the Odia script while using a typical keyboard with 101-105 keys. Using the IME doesn't require changing your current Windows display language. ## Add support for Odia input From cc1894a542c8b90d091f9fe75343e217cf649d57 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: damabe <40476441+damabe@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2025 20:52:32 -0700 Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Policheck updates --- globalization/fonts-layout/images-icons-colors.md | 6 +++--- .../internationalization/payment-methods.md | 4 ++-- globalization/locale/paper-size.md | 2 +- globalization/locale/standard-locale-names.md | 2 +- globalization/locale/telephone-numbers.md | 4 ++-- globalization/locale/time-zones.md | 4 ++-- globalization/locale/user-preferences.md | 2 +- .../how-to-release-products-internationally.md | 12 ++++++------ 8 files changed, 18 insertions(+), 18 deletions(-) diff --git a/globalization/fonts-layout/images-icons-colors.md b/globalization/fonts-layout/images-icons-colors.md index f9c1f8bcf..a372174e0 100644 --- a/globalization/fonts-layout/images-icons-colors.md +++ b/globalization/fonts-layout/images-icons-colors.md @@ -13,15 +13,15 @@ ms.custom: Images and icons are a major part of a well-designed graphical user interface (GUI). The advantage of using images and icons is that with one picture a whole concept can be depicted. One reason behind this is that a picture evokes shared experiences that everyone has within their culture. When it comes to software localizability, this strength from shared experiences becomes a potential weakness for images and icons. Not all cultures share the same experiences or backgrounds. -In the early days of GUIs, there were several common icons and images that have since lost popularity. For example, an image of a US roadside mailbox was used to indicate mail. The US-style mailbox isn't commonly used in other countries, so that symbol was superseded by the letter symbol. GUIs have now settled on several symbols that are broadly understood, including a magnifying glass for search, one or two gears for settings, and a star for favorites. +In the early days of GUIs, there were several common icons and images that have since lost popularity. For example, an image of a US roadside mailbox was used to indicate mail. The US-style mailbox isn't commonly used in other countries/regions, so that symbol was superseded by the letter symbol. GUIs have now settled on several symbols that are broadly understood, including a magnifying glass for search, one or two gears for settings, and a star for favorites. When you choose images and icons, there are several best practices. - Cultural-specific images: as in the mailbox/letter example, consider whether the symbol has the same meaning in all target markets. -- Flags: where possible, avoid flags and other political symbols. Flags represent countries/regions. There might not be universal recognition of those countries/regions or the ideals, boundaries, and political beliefs for which they stand. Countries should never represent languages. Choosing one country to represent the entire collection of language speakers is exclusionary and potentially offensive. +- Flags: where possible, avoid flags and other political symbols. Flags represent countries/regions. There might not be universal recognition of those countries/regions or the ideals, boundaries, and political beliefs for which they stand. Countries/Regions should never represent languages. Choosing one country/region to represent the entire collection of language speakers is exclusionary and potentially offensive. - Maps: maps, especially those showing political boundaries such as countries and regions, are problematic. Political boundaries are often in dispute, so illustrating boundaries or labeling areas can cause offense. For example, the same body of water is known as the East Sea in Korea, but the Sea of Japan in Japan. Where maps and boundaries can't be avoided, consider using different boundaries and names for the various target markets when in dispute. - Religious symbols: religious symbols aren't limited to common icons such as a cross or an ichthys for Christianity or the crescent and star for Islam. Christmas trees and Easter bunnies are associated with Christian religious holidays and so might be unfamiliar or potentially offensive for other cultures. -- Gestures: because of the widespread use of the OK gesture (👌U+1F44C OK HAND SIGN) representing agreement, the gesture and the associated meaning have broad worldwide recognition. However, in many countries, the joining of the thumb and index finger can be used in gestures with many other meanings. Avoid using gestures or anatomical symbols to represent concepts as the meaning might not be conveyed correctly in target markets. +- Gestures: because of the widespread use of the OK gesture (👌U+1F44C OK HAND SIGN) representing agreement, the gesture and the associated meaning have broad worldwide recognition. However, in many countries/regions, the joining of the thumb and index finger can be used in gestures with many other meanings. Avoid using gestures or anatomical symbols to represent concepts as the meaning might not be conveyed correctly in target markets. - Skin tones: while the (nonrealistic) yellow skin tone for emoji is often considered neutral, the choice of using the yellow skin tone or selecting any of the five [emoji modifiers](emoji.md#emoji-modifiers) to alter the skin tone will always include an implicit race-based decision. Outlines, such as the following icon showing two people, are a better choice where possible, potentially avoiding issues around race, gender stereotyping, and ableism. :::image type="content" source="images/Two people.png" alt-text="An icon showing an outline of two people."::: diff --git a/globalization/internationalization/payment-methods.md b/globalization/internationalization/payment-methods.md index 476aea5a7..93cf41926 100644 --- a/globalization/internationalization/payment-methods.md +++ b/globalization/internationalization/payment-methods.md @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ ms.date: 05/16/2024 # Payment methods -In many Western countries, credit cards are commonly used to pay for software purchases. As discussed in [How to release products internationally](../methodology/how-to-release-products-internationally.md#payment-methods), not all target markets use the same payment methods. Choosing which payment methods customers can use to buy your product in each market needs to be part of your strategy. You should select methods that are popular in the target market and suitable for buying software online. +In many countries/regions, credit cards are commonly used to pay for software purchases. As discussed in [How to release products internationally](../methodology/how-to-release-products-internationally.md#payment-methods), not all target markets use the same payment methods. Choosing which payment methods customers can use to buy your product in each market needs to be part of your strategy. You should select methods that are popular in the target market and suitable for buying software online. This article gives an overview of some other methods used around the world. @@ -43,5 +43,5 @@ Here are a few examples of nontraditional payment methods, some of which have on - **Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies** are becoming more popular in the developer community due to their decentralized nature. Some software vendors and platforms accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and they're used globally. - The **GitHub Sponsors** platform allows developers to financially support each other directly on GitHub, a popular platform for hosting and sharing code. It's used globally and can be a viable alternative to traditional payment methods for software. -- **Prepaid cards** are payment cards with a monetary value stored on the card itself. They're trusted and popular worldwide, especially in countries with a large unbanked population, as they can be loaded with cash at a retail location, making them a tangible payment method. +- **Prepaid cards** are payment cards with a monetary value stored on the card itself. They're trusted and popular worldwide, especially in countries/regions with a large unbanked population, as they can be loaded with cash at a retail location, making them a tangible payment method. - Many **Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms**, like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, have their own billing systems that can be linked to various payment methods. These platforms are used globally. diff --git a/globalization/locale/paper-size.md b/globalization/locale/paper-size.md index ba2ee259d..06293c578 100644 --- a/globalization/locale/paper-size.md +++ b/globalization/locale/paper-size.md @@ -6,6 +6,6 @@ ms.date: 06/13/2023 # Paper sizes -The [ISO 216](https://www.iso.org/standard/36631.html) standard is the international standard for paper size. The standard includes the A4 size (297 x 210 mm), which is a common size worldwide for business and personal use. In the United States, Canada, and other North and Central America countries, Letter (8 1/2 x 11 inch) and Legal (8 1/2 x 14 inch) are common sizes. +The [ISO 216](https://www.iso.org/standard/36631.html) standard is the international standard for paper size. The standard includes the A4 size (297 x 210 mm), which is a common size worldwide for business and personal use. In the United States, Canada, and other North and Central America countries/regions, Letter (8 1/2 x 11 inch) and Legal (8 1/2 x 14 inch) are common sizes. While it's possible to print a document designed for one paper size on paper of a different size, a better experience is to support a page layout appropriate for the target market. When designing a page layout, you should ensure that the layout is responsive to changes in paper sizes. You should also ensure that the default page layout uses the appropriate page size for the target market. diff --git a/globalization/locale/standard-locale-names.md b/globalization/locale/standard-locale-names.md index ff336d635..01c32f739 100644 --- a/globalization/locale/standard-locale-names.md +++ b/globalization/locale/standard-locale-names.md @@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ A locale using the BCP 47 format is defined by a primary language tag and option |Example |Corresponds to |Explanation | |---------|---------|---------| |de |German |A primary language tag with no additional qualifiers. | -|zh-yue-HK |Cantonese for Hong Kong |A primary language tag, an extended language subtag, and a region subtag. Equivalent to yue-HK. | +|zh-yue-HK |Cantonese for Hong Kong SAR |A primary language tag, an extended language subtag, and a region subtag. Equivalent to yue-HK. | |sr-Latn |Serbian, written using the Latin script |A primary language tag and a script subtag. | |de-AT |German for Austria |A primary language tag and a region subtag. | |ca-ES-valencia |Valencian for Spain |A primary language tag, a region subtag, and a variant subtag. | diff --git a/globalization/locale/telephone-numbers.md b/globalization/locale/telephone-numbers.md index 663d8de2f..3f66387fd 100644 --- a/globalization/locale/telephone-numbers.md +++ b/globalization/locale/telephone-numbers.md @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Telephone numbers are typically assigned to consumers of landline, mobile, and s The [E.164 standard](https://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-E.164), published by the International Telecommunication Union as “The international public telecommunication numbering plan” is an open numbering plan that defines the format for international telephone numbers. The standard requires that a telephone number has a maximum of 15 digits, separated as the first one to three digits as a country code and the remaining digits corresponding to the subscriber’s telephone number. -The [North American Numbering Plan](https://nationalnanpa.com/) (NANP), used for telephone numbers in countries such as United States, Canada, and Jamaica, is a closed numbering plan. All countries in the NANP have a country code of 1. The subscriber number is 10 digits, with the first three digits being an area code that corresponds to a country or a regional service area. When calling a number within the area code, it might be possible to omit the area code. Being able to omit the area code is becoming less common, especially in the United States. +The [North American Numbering Plan](https://nationalnanpa.com/) (NANP), used for telephone numbers in countries/regions such as United States, Canada, and Jamaica, is a closed numbering plan. All countries/regions in the NANP have a country code of 1. The subscriber number is 10 digits, with the first three digits being an area code that corresponds to a country or a regional service area. When calling a number within the area code, it might be possible to omit the area code. Being able to omit the area code is becoming less common, especially in the United States. A trunk prefix is one or more digits that must be entered prior to entering a subscriber’s telephone number. An international call prefix is an example of a trunk prefix that allows you to enter a country code when calling a subscriber in another country/region. Common international call prefixes are 011 (used within the NANP) or 00 (recommended by the International Telecommunication Union). As the international call prefix varies by country/region, the plus (+) sign is used to represent the international call prefix. Many mobile phones allow the plus (+) sign to be used instead of entering the appropriate international call prefix. Calling a domestic number might also require a trunk prefix, typically 0. The domestic trunk prefix is often omitted when a call originates from a different country/region. @@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ When displaying a subscriber’s telephone number in the United States, several - XXX-XXX-XXXX - +1 XXX-XXX-XXXX -As all countries in the NANP have 10 digits, the 3+3+4 grouping can be used consistently for telephone numbers in the NANP. This isn't true of numbering plans in other countries and regions. Subscriber numbers might be different lengths and different groupings, from two to six digits, are used. Similarly, different separators, including hyphens, periods, and spaces might be used to separate groups of digits. Parentheses might be used for optional area codes or trunk prefixes. +As all countries/regions in the NANP have 10 digits, the 3+3+4 grouping can be used consistently for telephone numbers in the NANP. This isn't true of numbering plans in other countries and regions. Subscriber numbers might be different lengths and different groupings, from two to six digits, are used. Similarly, different separators, including hyphens, periods, and spaces might be used to separate groups of digits. Parentheses might be used for optional area codes or trunk prefixes. Telephone service providers can support telephone numbers where the subscriber, not the caller, pays for the cost. These telephone numbers are called toll-free or freephone telephone numbers. Depending on the provider, these telephone numbers might be limited to domestic customers. To support international users, a Universal International Freephone Number (UIFN) service might be required. diff --git a/globalization/locale/time-zones.md b/globalization/locale/time-zones.md index 8a9d590d9..8ed99961d 100644 --- a/globalization/locale/time-zones.md +++ b/globalization/locale/time-zones.md @@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ ms.date: 06/13/2023 # Time zones -A time zone is a geographical region in which the same time is used. If the earth were to be divided into 24 time zones corresponding to the 24 hours in a day, each time zone would span 15° of longitude. However, because it's more convenient for areas to share time, time zone boundaries tend to follow country or administrative (for example, provincial or state) borders. +A time zone is a geographical region in which the same time is used. If the earth were to be divided into 24 time zones corresponding to the 24 hours in a day, each time zone would span 15° of longitude. However, because it's more convenient for areas to share time, time zone boundaries tend to follow country/region or administrative (for example, provincial or state) borders. -Even when a country’s width would suggest that more than one time zone would be used, countries might elect to use fewer time zones. For example, China spans over 60° of longitude, but uses a single unified time zone (China Standard Time). +Even when a country/region’s width would suggest that more than one time zone would be used, countries/regions might elect to use fewer time zones. For example, China spans over 60° of longitude, but uses a single unified time zone (China Standard Time). The time in any of the world's time zones can be expressed as an offset from a time standard called Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). UTC corresponds to the mean solar time at 0° of longitude. Most time zone offsets are typically in multiples of hours, but can be other combinations of hours and minutes, such as UTC+05:30 for India or UTC+05:45 for Nepal. diff --git a/globalization/locale/user-preferences.md b/globalization/locale/user-preferences.md index ad7f605e2..e51c32d64 100644 --- a/globalization/locale/user-preferences.md +++ b/globalization/locale/user-preferences.md @@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ ms.date: 10/25/2023 --- # Identifying user preferences -Products intended for international markets need to be able to identify and follow users’ language and country preferences. Windows has a dedicated group of settings for this purpose under **Settings** > **Time & language** > **Language & region**. They consist of: +Products intended for international markets need to be able to identify and follow users’ language and country/region preferences. Windows has a dedicated group of settings for this purpose under **Settings** > **Time & language** > **Language & region**. They consist of: - **Windows display language**: used for the Windows UI and for features such as File Explorer - **Preferred languages**: a Microsoft Store application uses the first language in this list that is supported by the app diff --git a/globalization/methodology/how-to-release-products-internationally.md b/globalization/methodology/how-to-release-products-internationally.md index 890ce5d56..2efda5c41 100644 --- a/globalization/methodology/how-to-release-products-internationally.md +++ b/globalization/methodology/how-to-release-products-internationally.md @@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ Marketing is such a critical area that it can benefit from [transcreation](../lo ### Language support -When you have selected the target markets, you need to lock down which languages are going to be supported. Are you going to try to support all languages in all your target markets, or prioritize some languages or markets, perhaps adding more after launch? For example, in Japan Japanese is the dominant language and you should focus your support on Japanese. But many countries have more than one official language, and some unofficial languages might also be worth supporting. Supporting common languages such as Spanish have the advantage of covering many markets at once, although you still need to account for regional variations and conventions. +When you have selected the target markets, you need to lock down which languages are going to be supported. Are you going to try to support all languages in all your target markets, or prioritize some languages or markets, perhaps adding more after launch? For example, in Japan Japanese is the dominant language and you should focus your support on Japanese. But many countries/regions have more than one official language, and some unofficial languages might also be worth supporting. Supporting common languages such as Spanish have the advantage of covering many markets at once, although you still need to account for regional variations and conventions. Language support can incur considerable costs, especially if your original product development didn’t plan for [internationalization](software-internationalization.md). Even if internationalization was accounted for, each new language version still comes with an incremental cost. @@ -49,13 +49,13 @@ Language support can incur considerable costs, especially if your original produ Every market doesn’t have the same [payment methods](../internationalization/payment-methods.md) available. And even if a given method is available, it might be little used. Research which options are commonly used in the markets you're targeting. You should offer several ways to pay for your product. Credit cards, online payment methods such as Stripe, Paypal, or Google Pay, multi-currency accounts, and transfer via a third party such as Western Union are some possibilities worth investigating. -Selling your product in a new country often means that you get payments in a new currency. It's worth considering whether you should use a bank that is local for the target market for this business. At some point you want to repatriate those profits, so plan for that eventuality when you think about your banking solution. +Selling your product in a new country/region often means that you get payments in a new currency. It's worth considering whether you should use a bank that is local for the target market for this business. At some point you want to repatriate those profits, so plan for that eventuality when you think about your banking solution. Foreign currencies involve what is called a foreign exchange risk, as currency exchange rates can fluctuate. Cash repatriation also affects your taxes, so good planning can reap considerable benefits. ### Legal concerns -Before even considering the specifics of your product, you need to look into your company starting operations in the target market. As with marketing and sales, you can benefit from the assistance of in-country talent. For example, Europe’s GDPR law has changed the way customer data privacy is handled. Patent rights and lawsuits are also potential issues. +Before even considering the specifics of your product, you need to look into your company starting operations in the target market. As with marketing and sales, you can benefit from the assistance of in-country/region talent. For example, Europe’s GDPR law has changed the way customer data privacy is handled. Patent rights and lawsuits are also potential issues. When it comes to your product, it must comply with all legal and trade requirements of each target market. Some of the things you need to consider are taxes, warranties, trademarks, certificates, import regulations, declarations of conformity, and packaging of the product if it's a physical delivery. For more information, see [International laws and standards](../internationalization/international-laws-and-standards.md). @@ -69,9 +69,9 @@ When you’ve done this assessment of your capabilities and started to acquire t Speaking of timelines, perhaps the most important thing to remember about compliance is that it typically takes a very long lead time to have everything up and running. -You need to work with your legal team to see if they can handle all the issues you identified earlier and any other problems that might arise. This might be an area where you need to seek assistance from in-country legal counsel. +You need to work with your legal team to see if they can handle all the issues you identified earlier and any other problems that might arise. This might be an area where you need to seek assistance from in-country/region legal counsel. -As an example, for some industries you might have to perform local testing or quality control in some countries to gain approval for your product. As another example, product liability and consumer protection laws might work differently from your home market. The potential hazards are numerous and we can’t emphasize enough the need for research, assessing your capabilities, seeking local help if necessary, and keeping your schedules realistic. +As an example, for some industries you might have to perform local testing or quality control in some countries/regions to gain approval for your product. As another example, product liability and consumer protection laws might work differently from your home market. The potential hazards are numerous and we can’t emphasize enough the need for research, assessing your capabilities, seeking local help if necessary, and keeping your schedules realistic. ### Banking and payments @@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ Your product should be designed according to the principles of [internationaliza Physical products need shipping to local warehouses and distribution deals to stores. Customers are going to be unhappy if they can only get your product by waiting many weeks for expensive international delivery. -If your product is something that could be manufactured in-country, that is worth considering as it could let you avoid many import-related issues. These include customs duties and tariffs, taxes, import licensing, and shipping, for example. +If your product is something that could be manufactured in-country/region, that is worth considering as it could let you avoid many import-related issues. These include customs duties and tariffs, taxes, import licensing, and shipping, for example. ### Local support and infrastructure