# Internationalizing the GNUmed client

Tailoring GNUmed to work in different countries (and regions), each having different needs, can involve any combination of:

- adapting the user interface (UI) and database-storable values to one's local conventions and language
- adapting (or extending) GNUmed to better meet local functional requirements

## Adapting the UI ("Look-and-feel")

Interface translation already goes a long way to make GNUmed usable for doctors in other countries because basic medical functionality is very similar all over the world:

- date, time and (GNUmed future: monetary) formats are controllable by such settings as the computer's (or user's) LOCALE settings
- translation of the UI and of database-stored values are managed separately:
  - menu, label, and plugin name translation is managed by the files within the client. These can even allow a user to maintain a totally personalized UI. For more, see Translating the UI.
  - sets of re-usable values (types of encounters, types of documents) which reside in the database itself are managed in part through GNUmed client menus such as GNUmed > Master data. For more, see Translation in the Backend.

## Functional internationalization

To make the GNUmed client conform to local requirements, we offer a plugin architecture and signal based data processing. Hopefully, these will not be very-much needed. For more, see Hooks framework.