Internationalization Testing
Internationalization testing (often shortened to i18n) verifies that software is built in a way that can support multiple languages and regions without code changes — correct handling of text expansion, character encoding, date and currency formats, and right-to-left languages. It tests the architecture's readiness, not a specific translation.
Internationalization testing is distinct from localization testing: i18n checks that the underlying system can support any locale — no hard-coded strings, no assumptions about text length or date format, proper Unicode handling — while localization testing checks a specific translated version for accuracy and cultural fit.
Common i18n bugs: UI layouts that break when German or Finnish text runs 30-40% longer than the English original, date fields that misinterpret DD/MM vs MM/DD formats, and hard-coded currency symbols that don't update for other locales.
