What does mean ''internalization'' for me when I design my program and where sho

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Question: What does mean "internalization" for me when I design my program and where should I go if I need to change the language in some program?

Answer: I think the best answer can be found on SUN's site :

"Internationalization is the process of designing an application so that it can be adapted to various languages and regions without engineering changes. Sometimes the term internationalization is abbreviated as i18n, because there are 18 letters between the first "i" and the last "n."
An internationalized program has the following characteristics:

With the addition of localized data, the same executable can run worldwide.
Textual elements, such as status messages and the GUI component labels are not hardcoded in the program. Instead
they are stored outside the source code and retrieved dynamically.
Support for new languages does not require recompilation.
Culturally-dependent data, such as dates and currencies, appear in formats that conform to the end user's region and language.
It can be localized quickly.
Localization is the process of adapting software for a specific region or language by adding locale-specific components and translating text. The term localization is often abbreviated as l10n, because there are 10 letters between the "l" and the "n."
Usually, the most time-consuming portion of the localization phase is the translation of text. Other types of data, such as sounds and images, may require localization if they are culturally sensitive. Localizers also verify that the formatting of dates, numbers, and currencies conforms to local requirements."
Please check a quick example and checklist (what you need to do...):
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/i18n/intro/index.html

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