Java-Sinhala localization to improve computer literacy in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Computer users all over the world have come to expect their software to “talk” to them in their own language. In order to fulfill this requirement for different users across the globe, internationalization & localization render a great service. In short, Localization (L10N) is the process of adapting a product (a software in this case), to a specific locale such as to its language, standards and cultural norms as well as to the needs and expectations of a specific target market. But in the context of Java there is very little support for Sinhala or Tamil while there is wide support for most European languages which is a boost for software engineers in those countries to write software in native languages or in a manner that supports both English and their mother tongue. Therefore our approach was to introduce a localized application framework extension in Sinhala, which can be integrated with the java platform to create GUI applications, so that developers can utilize the framework in order to develop customized/localized applications to serve the local community in Sinhala.