[whatwg] internationalization/localization

[Martin Kutschker]

Jim Ley <jim.ley at gmail.com> writes on 
Wed, 30 Jun 2004 10:30:26 +0200 (METDST):

> On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 08:47:19 +0200 (METDST), Martin Kutschker
> <martin.t.kutschker at blackbox.net> wrote:
> 
> > > As for the date the user inputs, the UA should use the user's
> > > locale to determine the timezone.
> > 
> > What's the users locale? OS/UI settings? Browser settings?
> 
> I thought I'd already started putting to bed the myth that the user
> has accurate clocks.


[snip]

Well, now what? I see the problem. Do I understand it correctly that we simply say getting locale and time zone is outside the spec, so browser developers must deal with it.


> > Or the spec defines that a date should be displayed in the
> > shortest possible way (no names of weekdays and months).
> 
> I agree knowing the scope of the size of the control is useful, but
> names of months are also great for display, everyone can deal with
> those who speaks the language of the page.


Sure. Anyway web/gtraphics designers loath everything they cannot control. If it cannot be controlled at least to some degree it simply won't be used.

So I vote for either some kind of pattern (eg format="d.m.y") or some style type (eg format="compact" => "1.12.2003" or format="long" => Mittwoch, der 30. Juni 2004", or some other types).

Masi