Mastering Internationalization: A Journey through Cultures and i18n

By Mayra Lucia Navarro

Elevator Pitch

Crafting a Spanish webapp? Bravo! Picture LatAm expansion—tricky, right? Words change meaning with borders. Rails to the rescue! Unveil i18n wonders, mastering idiolects effortlessly. Say adiós to static strings; Rails equips you to adapt, translate, & flourish across LatAm’s diverse tapestry.

Description

Embark on a thrilling journey into the dynamic realm of internationalization with me! Imagine that your web application, which has become a local favorite, is about to go international. However, there are traps hidden in linguistic shadows that could result in confusing or legal issues.

Our journey begins with the challenges of static text, a strategy that became inappropriate as we expanded our wings to countries. Travel with me through the many variables of i18n, where every language detail counts, particularly in the complex fields of meanings and people management.

As your webapp grows in popularity, the issue of word meanings will arise. This session is more than just a crash course in internationalization; it’s a road map for both seasoned engineers and ambitious juniors. I’ll teach you how to properly internationalize your app and demonstrate the great versatility Ruby on Rails provides for setting the stage in varied Latinoamerican environments.

Join me to see how our work has evolved, from regional translations in Spanish to dynamic extraction of static texts translated into Portuguese and English. This is more than simply a presentation; it’s an inspiring experience that demystifies i18n procedures using real-world examples. Prepare to face obstacles, enjoy victories, and learn from our worldwide Rails adventure.

Notes

I learned to speak Portuguese five years ago because I believe in a unified Latin America: we live on the same continent, and language shouldn’t be a barrier to building a community in South America. I was already a tech leader for wnb.rb when I joined Buk at the time they were working to enter the Brazilian market. I’m involve in the team responsible for the extraction phase of static texts in Spanish for their adaptation to Brazilian Portuguese. This is one of the reasons why I decided to work here; they are opening a new branch in Brazil. In my talk, inspired by Julia Lopez’s presentation at Rails World, I aim to showcase the path and lessons learned throughout the process of presenting our solution to enter Brazil from a Rails monolith with static texts. I haven’t decided whether to use English or Portuguese for this talk, but I will do my best to deliver it in Portuguese (I love it).