Please explain the scope of your testing and what you mean by non-English?
Have you tested the same software on an English system (or whatever
your native language is) and you just have to test the translation of
the UI?
There are many languages. Non-English could be another Western or
Northern European language, which for the most part uses the same
character set, or it could be one that natively requires a two byte
languge, or it could be one that substitutes a different character set
for ASCII or extended ASCII.
What will this software do? Does it store information? What character
set will be used for storing the data?
We can't begin to answer your questions until we have an idea of what
the nature of the software is. Sorry, but it's the reality. In the
mean time, I will provide you with the following FAQ on testing L10N,
I18N, G11N, and M17N (Internationalization, Localization,
Globalization, and Multilingualization) .
Q: What are Internationalization, Localization, Globalization, and
Multilingualization Testing?
A: Internationalization and localization are a means of adapting
software for non-native environments, especially other nations and
cultures. Internationalization is often abbreviated as I18N (or i18n
or I18n), where the number 18 refers to the number of letters omitted.
"Localization" is often abbreviated l10n in the same manner. Both are
sometimes collectively termed globalization (g11n). Also seen in some
circles, but less commonly, are "p13n" for personalization? and "r3h"
for reach, as in the reach of a web site across countries and markets.
L10N should support two languages or character codes simultaneously,
usually English (ASCII) and another specific one. Since each
programmer has his or her own mother tongue, there are numerous L10N
patches and L10N programs written to satisfy his or her own need. L10N
is preparing a feature or system for use in a local market, e.g.,
Russia, Japan, Québec. Usually a market has a distinct language,
customs and regulations. At the very least, user interface elements
are translated into the local language.
I18N is also sometimes used interchangeably with G11N when speaking
broadly of the economic and cultural effects of an increasingly
interconnected world. In software terms, Usage of the term I18N has
become rare; the term globalization (G11N) is preferred mostly because
of corporate globalization where many companies and products find
themselves in many countries worldwide.
G11N is a multi-step process to prepare a feature or system for use in
multiple markets, or at least so that it can easily be localized. It
is most commonly taken to refer to the addition of a framework for
multiple language support. This implies that the application is
capable of input of and displaying non-western character sets. These
activities include software localization, and technical document
translation result in user interfaces, on-line help systems, and
documentation that are adapted to the cultural, linguistic, and
technical requirements of specific international markets. This has
given rise to increasing requirements for localization (L10N) of
products and services.
M17N (multilingualization) model is to support many languages at the
same time. For example, Mule (MULtilingual Enhancement to GNU Emacs)
can handle a text file which contains multiple languages - for
example, a paper on differences between Korean and Chinese whose main
text is written in Finnish. GNU Emacs 20 and XEmacs now include Mule.
Note that the M17N model can only be applied in character-related
instances. For example, it is nonsense to display a message like 'file
not found' in many languages at the same time. Unicode and UTF-8 are
technologies which can be used for this model. Viewing a web site in
English and same in French should not have any functionality
differences ideally, and no runtime errors. Check for incorrect
translations, misspelled words and wrong symbols for the particular
language chosen by the user. The language conversion should be
consistent throughout the application. Use of shared variables can
cause serious bugs, like when users select same page or content to
view but choose different languages however the page is rendered in
the previous user's language.
谢谢