In the context of localization and internationalization, a locale is a combination of language code, country code, script code, region code, and variant code. This defines a specific linguistic and cultural context. For example, "en-US" represents English in the United States.
Key aspects:
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Language Code: Represents a specific language. It is typically represented by a two-letter or three-letter code defined by international standards, such as ISO 639-1 or ISO 639-3. For example, "en" represents English.
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Country Code: Represents a specific country. It is usually represented by a two-letter code defined by ISO 3166-1 alpha-2. For example, "US" represents the United States.
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Script Code: Represents a writing script or system used for a specific language. It identifies the characters and writing conventions employed in a particular writing system. Some common script codes include Latin (Latn), Arabic (Arab), Cyrillic (Cyrl), and Devanagari (Deva).
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Region Code: Represents a specific geographical region or territory within a country. It is defined by ISO 3166-2 or UN M.49 standards. Region codes can help define region-specific variations or preferences within a country. For example, "US-CA" represents the United States - California.
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Variant Code: Represents additional variations or dialects within a language or region. It can be used to identify specific linguistic or cultural variations. Variant codes are not standardized and can vary depending on the context.