What is the motive of a software business? It wants to expand across countries so that different people can use its software. Hence, the saying is true that a software company can achieve new success when it caters to customers from different parts of the world.
However, there are several language obstacles that come into the development phase when building global software.
Hence, localization can solve these challenges. So, hire a Node.js developer who has expertise in the localization ecosystem.
Furthermore, it is vital to know that localization can help your organization become robust and provide better services to your customers.
Let’s explore our blog to know which skills matter to a Node.js developer in the localization arena.
Things to Keep in Mind While Hiring node.js Developers With Localization Expertise
Experience With Various Libraries
The two most important aspects of localization in Node.js development are familiarization with various Internationalization (i18n) libraries and frameworks. Internationalization (i18n) is the process of designing and developing a software product so it can be adapted for users of different cultures and languages.
When developers are skilled in libraries, they can sort the localization process. As a matter of fact, they should know about i18next, Polyglot, or Globalize.
Key Aspects to Look For:
- Knowing the complete setup and configuration of i18n libraries.
- Can integrate i18n libraries within the Node.js environment.
- Skills in handling real-time language.
Understanding of Data Handling
The customers are working in different time zones, currencies, and many more. That is why developers should handle these requirements so that the software resonates with the customers.
Key Aspects to Look For:
- Knowledge of Intl.DateTimeFormat and Intl.NumberFormat in Node.js.
- Knowledge of data formatting according to various locale requirements.
- Knows about localization fallback strategies.
Understanding of Character Encoding and Unicode
Certain character encoding errors can erupt when using non-Latin alphabets and characters in the localization process.
Therefore, the developer should have a robust knowledge of UTF-8 encoding and Unicode standards in Node.js. Due to this, the text will appear synced for several languages.
Key Aspects to Look For:
- Should have proper knowledge of UTF-8 and UTF-16 encodings.
- Experience with Unicode normalization forms.
- Can detect and resolve encoding issues at various levels.
Build Multilingual APIs
A multilingual API should be developed so that customers can use it and extract various benefits. Therefore, a Node.js developer who has localization expertise should build these APIs.
Key Aspects to Look For:
- Experience building RESTful APIs with localization support.
- Complete understanding of localization headers.
- Can form API responses to render content based on locale.
Work With Translation Management Systems
A Translation Management System (TMS) is a vital tool in the localization industry. It holds the power to solve the obstacle of translating content with the application. Therefore, a developer should have proper knowledge of Phrase, Crowdin, or Smartling to use them for translation purposes in a Node.js application.
Key Aspects to Look For:
- 100% command on TMS integration with Node.js applications.
- Full confidence in handling translation imports and exports.
- Know how to use APIs provided by TMS platforms for automated updates.
Experience With Financial Systems
There is no space for errors in the financial ecosystem. Hence, it becomes important for a developer to work with various currencies and measurements using the power of Globalize or Luxon to localize these data points.
Key Aspects to Look For:
- Complete knowledge of currency conversion libraries and methods.
- Have the ability to manage locale-based units for measurements.
- A complete understanding of joining these libraries with existing application data pipelines.
Proper Handling of Right-To-Left (Rtl) Languages
There are many languages, such as Arabic and Hebrew, which are written from right to left. So, Node.js developers should have a complete understanding of how these languages are rendered.
Key Aspects to Look For:
- Proficient in adjusting user interfaces to support RTL.
- Knows about CSS styling and layout adjustments.
- Can apply conditional logic to render content as per locale.
Understanding of Cdns for Localized Content
Businesses are using Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to view localized content based on the user’s region. Therefore, developers should use this tool to provide localized content material (such as images or CSS files) quickly.
Key Aspects to Look For:
- Know the working of CDN configuration.
- Developers can structure file paths or subdomains.
- Knowledge of handling caching issues for different languages.
Manage Legal and Compliance Requirements
Many countries in the world follow strict rules for data protection. These are GDPR in the European region and CCPA in California (USA). Due to these regulations, Node.js developers should have a deep understanding of the rules and regulations of different countries.
Key Aspects to Look For:
- Can handle data for various regions.
- Knows how to use cookie consent and data retention policies.
- Have a thorough understanding of implementing privacy notices.
Experience With Automated Testing
Nowadays, automated testing is in the picture. It is used to have better quality control for localized versions of an application. Therefore, developers should have the same tendency to use automated testing so that they can catch potential issues in the development cycle.
Key Aspects to Look For:
- Should have proper skills to write tests for multiple languages.
- Knows about Jest, Mocha, or Cypress for localization testing.
- Can focus on automated validation of content rendering.
Final Thoughts
Nowadays, localization has become vital for several businesses. Moreover, when localization is used by Node.js developers, it has an immense and long-lasting impact on product development.
Therefore, Hire Node.js developers who possess the right skills, which are mentioned in the blog, to bring positive changes to the development process.