In my daily work, I often have to work on excel to process important amount of  data.

When many strings are stored in one column, I have the need to extract the unique value for one column as if I was doing a SELECT DISTINCT in one database in SQL.

Here is how to extract the unique list of strings in one Excel column:

You need to go in the main menu Data / Filter / Advanced Filter

The Advanced Filter dialog box will appear and you need to check the Unique Records only option

Then you will able to copy the list in a particular location.

This way you won’t miss any records when  doing this filtering.

User Interface

Does the user interface work in all the chosen locales?

Address Information

Is the address format customizable for all locales? It is not an acceptable practice to assume that all addresses are formatted like yours. In many cases the address format is critical to how the mail is handled and whether it gets where it is going today or next week.

Date and Time Information

Is time formatted and displayed correctly in all locales? Many countries show time on a 24 hour clock basis. There may be no AM or PM designation so don’t rely on it being there. Even if there is, it may not be the generally accepted way to display the time.

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Coding Practices

Have the appropriate coding practices been followed in producing the product?

Externalize Translatable Information

Are all strings externalized? It is not a good practice, long term, to simply pile all resource strings into one giant .properties file. There needs to be a strategy for separating items by type (errors, etc.) as well as by Internationalization effort. There are several types of strings in a product:

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Installation

Does the product correctly install and uninstall in all the chosen locales?

Can the application be installed in all locales?

Does the installation procedure allow for a choice of languages for the user? The language of the installer does not need to be the same as the target locale. Consider that someone may be installing the product in a locale where they are not proficient in the language of the locale. It is best to give the install instructions in a language that the person installing the product understands.

Can the application be completely un installed in all locales? Again consider that the person who is un installing the product may not be proficient in the language of the locale.

International Functionality

Does the product provide all of its intended functions in all of the chosen locales?

Loading Data

Does the data load work in all chosen locales (including double-byte locales)? Data load here refers to the loading of data from a file. This can be very useful for testing and quick setup even if it is not useful to the customer.

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Reference: Thanks to Bill Rich from Wilandra Consulting

Internationalization of Products

This set of check lists is intended to help you in deciding which steps to take to make your part of the products ready for the international market. There are no hard and fast rules included in this document. These are only guidelines and suggested areas to examine.

Product Goals

• Enable international users to be served in their own localeEach user will have a unique locale.

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