What is Localization Testing?

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Localization Testing

• This has been created by QA InfoTech. Choose QA
  InfoTech as your Automated testing partner. Visit
  www.qainfotech.com for more information.

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Introduction

• Launching a software product in the global market
  and competing against similar native versions
  require detailed planning, evaluation of the
  local markets and efficient execution. A
  particular software product that is widely
  accepted in America doesnt come with certainty
  of acceptance in Continental Europe or Asia. In
  order to make that product reach out to the local
  markets in all these places, it becomes vital for
  the software to comply with the local user
  culture.
• This not only involves translating language
  strings of the software to the targeted native
  language, but also customizing the GUI to suit
  local market. Only when the local users find the
  experience worthwhile, they may shift from the
  existing native versions to the one you are
  proposing. Adapting to local usage calls for a
  combination of product functionality suited to
  the local environment, time zone, keyboard and
  the input styles, acceptance of localized
  character set and etc. It is not only the
  development, but ensuring high quality UX of the
  software after it has undergone localization is
  also essential. Hence, localization testing of
  such software is a big challenge that testers
  across the globe have to confront.

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What is Localization Testing?

• Once the localization of a software or web
  application is done, it has to go through
  rigorous testing before releasing it in the
  target market. From usability, functionality to
  linguistics, every segment has to be put to
  testing so that possible problems down the road
  can be avoided. Localization testing reveals
  shortcomings of the software or application in
  design, linguistics or the overall UX, to be
  fixed before launching into the market. This
  calls for Internalization that prepares the
  software product to be adapted for local usage.
• Making a global product local requires
  certification on multiple locales and
  configurations. Since, the number of tests
  conducted is extensive in this case the
  management of the whole process becomes extremely
  critical. From managing the hardware and software
  intricacies to imitate native user environment to
  understanding what would work in localized
  software, the challenges are immense in this
  testing.

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Challenges of Localization changes

• Testing localization and internalization of a
  software or web application involves numerous
  challenges to be overcome, namely
• Ensuring quality of the product
• Maintaining cost effectiveness
• Delivery on time
• Finding out what exactly is to be tested
• Understanding how to evolve the Bug Tracking
  Process

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Approach to Handle the challenges

• QA InfoTech offers a smart testing approach as a
  solution to handle all the mentioned challenges.
  Taking a different approach to localization and
  internalization, we can ensure the quality of
  products is maintained in multiple locales.
  Performing the internalization testing on a
  single locale, software products can be
  engineered to adapt to cultures of all nations.
  This allows reducing the cost of software
  development, as Test Optimization matrix can be
  customized to meet project requirements. Test
  Optimization Matrix is a single entity that
  defines the amount of testing effort necessary at
  every locale. Our approach is to offer a
  step-by-step plan that takes care of Enablement,
  Localizability, Localization Functional and
  Linguistic testing of the software, scheduling it
  for execution at the correct time. The
  step-by-step approach includes

• Planning of tests to meet schedule
• Ensuring sufficient coverage of test optimization
  matrix
• Supporting linguistic verifications
• Utilizing software tools to support test
  execution
• Evolving the bug process to integrate
  Internationalization and Localization testing
• Here are certain important steps explained

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Test Optimization Matrix of Localization Testing

• Based on past experiences, an understanding of
  core localization and internalization engineering
  issues, the test optimization matrix is
  developed. The basic concept behind this matrix
  was to minimize the testing efforts without
  compromising on the quality of the end software.
  Testing the developed software or application on
  localized versions of the operating system
  requires conducting series of tests of multiple
  configurations. Considering there are several
  local OS, hardware and locales that the software
  has to support, the number of combinations to be
  tested becomes huge. So, testing all of it
  becomes daunting. Neither testing these can be
  done within the said time or the budget. Thus,
  the coverage plan is to be optimized to complete
  the testing within the allotted time and budget.

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Localization Labs and Infrastructure

• A localization testing lab must have essential
  infrastructure including hardware and software
  required to simulate any native user action and
  UX on localized software. From using localized
  keyboards or other input devices, hardware that
  matches product requirements and operating
  systems in various languages all must be present
  in a localization lab. Having such labs in
  different locales involve a lot of expense. This
  can be handled well by adopting some virtual
  software and hardware solution that help in
  reducing environmental and lab costs.
  Virtualization helps in simulating not only
  multiple locale environments, but also several
  Operating Systems on a single computer.

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Linguistic Verification Support

• Another vital section is linguistic verification
  that concerns validating the translation of
  strings on a localized product. This requires
  skilled linguistic experts for every locale.
  However, the issue here is many a times, these
  experts are not very much computer savvy.
  Particularly this becomes problematic when a
  complex product is to be tested that involves
  complicated work flows. It is not always possible
  to train these linguistic experts in the product
  work flows to monitor the translation. So, a
  process can be adopted that allow screenshots of
  the products to be captured and sent to the
  experts for verification. Although, this requires
  Localization Functional Testers for the
  screenshots, this process helped the client in
  making the most of Linguistic verification at
  reasonable rates.
• Thus, a planned process of localization and
  internalization of software testing can reduce
  hardware and human resource, resulting in
  cost-effectiveness. Ensuring better quality and
  on time delivery in multiple locales, this
  process can reduce time to market the product in
  local markets with shorter release cycles.

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Thank YouThis powerpoint has been created by QA
InfoTech. Choose QA InfoTech as your Automated
testing partner. Visit www.qainfotech.com for
more information.