INTERNATIONALIZATION OF SOFTWARE AND ITS LOCALIZATION INTO UKRAINIAN

Abstract

The article explores the effects of the internationalization process on adapting software for the Ukrainian locale, emphasizing the linguistic, communicative, and socio-cultural challenges encountered by localizers and translators. It also discusses the strategies employed to address these challenges, considering the unique characteristics of the product and the production processes involved in adapting software for various markets. The study relies on the localized versions of software from Microsoft and Google, along with an examination of their style guides. The goal of the research is to assess the impact of internationalization on the adaptation of software for the Ukrainian audience by delineating strategies and identifying key localization issues. Comparative and contextual analysis methods are used to examine the original and localized versions of the software. The findings from the analysis of supporting documentation and Ukrainian localized products demonstrate that localization is a multifaceted process designed to adapt a product based on the interaction between differenlocales. The interaction properties humans and software to meet the specific requirements and characteristics of influence the architecture and textual elements of the software, as well as the sequence of operations necessary for adaptation to specific locales. Throughout the internationalization of software and the preparation of materials for further localization, certain elements are identified as vulnerable due to linguistic, communicative, and socio-cultural factors, which can present challenges during adaptation to local needs. The linguistic issues associated with Ukrainian localization stem from the specific alphabet system and grammatical features of the Ukrainian language. Communicative aspects determine the level of formality in the software's interaction with Ukrainian users. The socio-cultural characteristics of the Ukrainian locale are the most dynamic and, therefore, may not be fully encapsulated in localization guidelines. The analysis of the auxiliary documents provided to localizers illustrates the developers' commitment to delivering high-quality localized software to Ukrainian users. This commitment is achieved by identifying and addressing the linguistic, communicative, and socio-cultural elements that play a crucial role in successful localization.