# Internationalization, Localization and Encodings **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [September 28, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/internationalization-localization-and-encodings/176263 "2009-09-28T07:49:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/internationalization-localization-and-encodings/176263/1 "2009-09-28T07:49:29Z")
Hi, I’m sorry that this is a bit Off Topic, but I was wondering if there’s a good resource that you could point me to for understanding internationalization, localization and encodings. With the new support in 1.9 and in other tools also, I want to learn the basics and see how they apply to Ruby. Any suggestions? (Again, apologies for the slight OT nature of this post). Thanks, Mohit. 9/28/2009 | 1:48 PM. ---
**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 11:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/internationalization-localization-and-encodings/176263/2 "2009-09-28T11:51:47Z")
-------- Original-Nachricht -------- > Datum: Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:48:55 +0900 > Von: Mohit S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) > An: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > Betreff: [OT] Internationalization, Localization and Encodings > Thanks, > Mohit. > 9/28/2009 | 1:48 PM. Dear Mohit, I found this enlightening: [http://blog.grayproductions.net/articles/understanding\_m17n](http://blog.grayproductions.net/articles/understanding_m17n) Best regards, Axel ---
**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/internationalization-localization-and-encodings/176263/3 "2009-09-28T17:48:54Z")
On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 6:48 AM, Mohit S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Thanks, > Mohit. > 9/28/2009 | 1:48 PM. Are you looking for a general introduction to these concepts, or a Ruby specific one? Or both? Joel wrote a really good introductory piece a few years ago: > **[The Absolute Minimum Every Software Developer Absolutely, Positively Must...](https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2003/10/08/the-absolute-minimum-every-software-developer-absolutely-positively-must-know-about-unicode-and-character-sets-no-excuses/)** > > Ever wonder about that mysterious Content-Type tag? You know, the one you’re supposed to put in HTML and you never quite know what it should be? Did you ever get an email from your friends in… Tim B. has written well on the topic also: [ongoing by Tim Bray · On the Goodness of Unicode](http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2003/04/06/Unicode) (and not limited to this article) There is also the main Unicode site: [http://www.unicode.org](http://www.unicode.org) It might be a good idea to float this question on [http://www.stackoverflow.com](http://www.stackoverflow.com) - its probably asked a lot, and is probably well answered. regards, Richard. ---
**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/internationalization-localization-and-encodings/176263/4 "2009-09-28T21:40:08Z")
On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 1:48 AM, Mohit S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Hi, I’m sorry that this is a bit Off Topic, but I was wondering if there’s a > good resource that you could point me to for understanding > internationalization, localization and encodings. With the new support in > 1.9 and in other tools also, I want to learn the basics and see how they > apply to Ruby. In addition to all the resources mentioned (which are great), my book has a chapter on it: > **[Ruby Best Practices: Increase Your Productivity - Write Better Code: Brown,...](https://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Best-Practices-Increase-Productivity/dp/0596523009)** > > Ruby Best Practices: Increase Your Productivity - Write Better Code \[Brown, Gregory\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Ruby Best Practices: Increase Your Productivity - Write Better Code ---
**Author:** ![mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@mohits](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mohits)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/internationalization-localization-and-encodings/176263/5 "2009-09-28T18:40:25Z")
Hi Richard & Axel, First, thanks for both your replies. I will see the links more carefully in the next couple of days. Richard C. wrote: > Are you looking for a general introduction to these concepts, or a Ruby > specific one? Or both? Actually, I’m looking for both. Having always programmed in English on projects where supporting English was completely acceptable, I feel the lack of connection to the issue altogether. I want to gain a clear-enough understanding of this issue so that I’m then able to work with it comfortably. Given that, I’d like to start to play with the concepts in a language that gets out of the way and lets me learn the problem area… hence, my interest in learning it through Ruby since I anyway use Ruby as much as I use C/C++. > It might be a good idea to float this question on > [http://www.stackoverflow.com](http://www.stackoverflow.com) - its probably asked a lot, > and is probably well answered. Thanks again for the links. I’m sure I’ll be back with more questions 🙂 Cheers, Mohit. 9/29/2009 | 12:39 AM.