Understanding localization and internationalization

While the end goal of this chapter is to set up localization, we can make things easier by implementing internationalization first. The terms localization and internationalization are often confused, so let's define these terms properly:

• Internationalization: The process of ensuring that your website is created in such a way that it can support different languages, locales, and cultures. Internationalization is all about being proactive in your site's design and development to ensure that you don't have to completely redesign it later when you introduce it to a new market. This could include allowing text to be displayed from right to left as well as left to right, for example.
• Localization: Normally conducted after internationalization, localization is the process of adapting your site to meet a new locale requirement. This could be adding a language or cultural requirement.

By spending the time...