localeagnostic

Localeagnostic is a software design principle describing components or systems that function the same regardless of a user's locale. A locale-agnostic component minimizes or eliminates dependence on locale-specific rules for text direction, date and number formatting, sorting, calendar conventions, or language resources. The term is informal and used mainly in discussions of internationalization and localization, often contrasted with locale-aware or fully localized software.

Key practices include using Unicode for internal text representation; representing dates and times in invariant, machine-readable formats such as ISO 8601; representing numbers with explicit formats rather than relying on the user's locale; separating content from presentation to avoid locale-driven UI decisions; and parsing and formatting using explicit patterns rather than locale defaults. Locale-agnostic design also favors locale-insensitive sorting and comparisons where appropriate.

Applications of locale-agnostic design include data interchange and APIs that must be interpreted consistently across environments, logging and auditing where uniform timestamps are essential, and components intended for deployment in many locales. It is often used as a baseline to be localized later, rather than as a substitute for proper localization of end-user interfaces.

Limitations and criticisms include potential misalignment with user expectations in locales that rely on local formats, the risk of confusing users if interfaces appear rigidly universal, and the challenge of balancing invariant behavior with the need to support diverse cultural conventions. Thorough documentation and clear design goals are important when adopting locale-agnostic approaches.

See also: internationalization, localization, locale-aware, i18n.