Preface
This is the first edition of CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z243.230, Minimum Canadian Software Localization Conventions. This Standard presents formalization in POSIX terms (according to CSA Standard CAN/CSA-ISO/IEC 9945, Information technology - Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) - Part 1: System Application Program Interface (API) (C Language), and Part 2: Shell and Utilities) of minimal parameters allowing the localization of software in respect of the country's presentation practices. These parameters, known as a Locale (POSIX terminology), are included in files that are recognized by the application environment. All required parameters from CSA Standard CAN/CSA-ISO/IEC 9945 are reproduced in Appendix E.
This Standard describes two Locales: one for French, and one for English. The conformity clause prescribes dual support of the Locales. Appendices A, B, C, an D are a normative part of this Standard.
The localization conventions described in this Standard generally follow those in Canadian Standards. In some instances, the parameters reflect the most commonly used customs (practices).
CSA wishes to thank Patric Dempster, Jean-Yves Fortin, Pierre Gillespie-Kerr, John Gioia, Alain LaBonté, and François Yergeau for their precious collaboration in writing and technically revising the original French and English versions of this Standard. Members of the Canadian Group for Internationalization of Applications (GIA) have been working for four years to reach consensus for this Standard. GIA is the national equivalent of the following International Organization for Standardization (ISO) task groups: ISO/IEC JTC1/SC22/WG20 (Programming Languages, their environments and system software interfaces - internationalization) and ISO/IEC JTC1/SC22/WG15RIN (rapporteur group on portable operating systems interfaces).
This standard was prepared by the Subcommittee on Programming Languages, under the jurisdiction of the Technical Committee on Information Technology (TCIT) and the Steering Committee on Information Technology (SCIT), and was formally approved by the Technical Committee. It has been approved as a National Standard of Canada by the Standards Council of Canada.
Scope
1.1
This Standard describes in POSIX terms the minimal parameters needed to localize Canadian software. Any software application distributed in Canada should be designed to conform to the presentation rules in use in Canada whether or not the software uses interfaces that comply with a POSIX environment. Those rules are described in this Standard.
1.2
This Standard does not impose complete conformity with POSIX even though the parameters are in POSIX format. Applications in both official languages in Canada need only be based on the correct interpretation of these parameters in order to conform to this Standard.
1.3
The availability of a local compiler or interpreter, whether or not it uses interfaces that conform to POSIX, makes it easier to check conformity to this Standard.
