Localizing a dynamic application like Sprout Social into multiple languages is a complex undertaking. For years, Sprout engineering team got by with a scrappy homemade localization solution. While this solution served us for years, we were running into limitations more and more as the team and the application grew. In this post, I will outline some of those limitations and the steps we took to redesign our localization system to address those limitations.
ReadIn some ways we can think about engineering systems in the same way linguists think about natural languages. Both can become ingrown and complex over time. How might we relate what we know about how "simpler" natural languages are formed to engineering teams and systems?
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