localeformaten

Localeformaten is a Dutch term that refers to the set of conventions used to present culturally sensitive data—such as dates, times, numbers, currencies, and measurements—according to a specific locale. It covers how information is formatted and displayed so that it aligns with users’ linguistic and regional expectations.

Typical components of localeformaten include date and time ordering and separators (for example day–month–year versus month–day–year), decimal and thousands separators, currency symbols and placement, measurement units, collation and sorting rules, pluralization patterns, and script or calendar preferences. Postal addresses, phone number formats, and work-week conventions can also be considered part of locale-specific formatting.

In computing, localeformaten are expressed and implemented via standards and libraries such as IETF BCP 47 language tags, POSIX locales, Unicode Common Locale Data Repository (CLDR), and internationalization libraries like ICU. These resources provide machine-readable data and APIs that developers use to format content correctly and to support localization workflows.

Adhering to correct localeformaten is important for usability, legal compliance, and preventing ambiguity. Best practices include using established libraries rather than hardcoding formats, respecting user or system preferences, providing sensible fallbacks, and testing with representative locales. Challenges include handling legacy data, mixed-language contexts, and regional variations that change over time.