auditing-localization

name	auditing-localization
description	Use when reviewing code, UI screens, or features for localization compliance against myKaarma's attribute-based rendering standards. Triggers on requests like "check localization", "audit i18n", "review RTL support", or "is this locale-ready".

Localization Audit for myKaarma Features

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Reviewing code for locale compliance: Checking that code uses attribute-based rendering, not hardcoded locale checks
• Pre-launch localization review: Before shipping a feature to a new market (Middle East, Quebec, Mexico, etc.)
• Auditing RTL support: Verifying layout, icons, and text alignment work correctly in RTL mode
• Checking data formatting: Ensuring currency, dates, times, and units follow dealer locale attributes
• Validating i18n completeness: Confirming all strings are externalized and no hardcoded text remains

Keywords: localization audit, i18n review, RTL check, locale compliance, internationalization, l10n, attribute-based rendering, currency formatting, date formatting, resource bundles, Middle East

How to Run an Audit

Step 1: Gather Context

Before auditing, establish:

Field	Examples
Feature / screen	Payment summary, service appointment scheduler, customer messaging
Target markets	US + Qatar, all markets, Middle East only
Platforms	Web (Angular/React), iOS, backend API
Locale attributes API used?	ManageAPI, neither, unknown
Known constraints	Existing i18n framework, legacy code, third-party components
Specific concerns	RTL layout, currency display, date formatting, phone validation

Step 2: Audit Against the Framework

See reference/localization-audit-framework.md for the full audit checklist covering:

1. Golden Rule Compliance (Attribute-Based Rendering)
2. UI Layout & RTL Support
3. Iconography & Visual Direction
4. Text & Resource Bundles (i18n)
5. Data Formatting (Currency, Dates, Units)
6. Locale Resolution & Fallback Chain
7. Phone Number Validation
8. API Integration
9. Definition of Done Checklist

Step 3: Structure Output

Executive Summary — 2-3 sentences: overall localization readiness and the most critical gaps.

Critical Issues — blockers; feature will break or display incorrectly in target markets

Issue -> Why it matters -> Specific recommendation with code example

Major Issues — significant problems; feature works but with incorrect formatting or layout

Issue -> Why it matters -> Specific recommendation with code example

Minor Issues — polish, edge cases (bullet list)

API Integration Flags — missing API calls, incorrect response handling, caching concerns

Top 3 Priorities — if the team can only fix 3 things before launch

Severity Reference

Level	Definition
Critical	Feature will break, display garbled text, or show incorrect data in target market
Major	Feature works but with wrong formatting, broken layout, or confusing UX in target market
Minor	Edge cases, polish issues, or non-blocking inconsistencies

Common Localization Blind Spots

Engineers almost always build for LTR + USD + en-US first. Flag these proactively:

• Hardcoded locale checks — if (locale === "ar-qa") instead of checking textDirection, currency, or units
• Physical CSS properties — margin-left instead of margin-inline-start
• Hardcoded strings — UI text not in resource bundles
• Hardcoded currency symbols — $ instead of localeAttributes.currency.symbol
• Hardcoded date patterns — MM/dd/yyyy instead of localeAttributes.date.pattern
• Left/Right constraints (iOS) — instead of Leading/Trailing
• Directional icons not mirrored — back arrows, progress bars still point LTR
• Static icons incorrectly mirrored — checkmarks, search icons flipped when they shouldn't be
• Google Translate for UI strings — slow, expensive, wrong automotive terms
• Backend formatting — dates/currency formatted on server instead of client
• Missing phone validation — no libphonenumber, no international country code support
• Mixed language and formatting — customer language affecting currency/date display

Standalone Prompt

To run this audit outside Claude Code (e.g., pasting into Claude.ai or another AI), use the ready-to-use prompt in reference/localization-audit-prompt.md.