GNU Info

(libc.info)Choosing Locale

---

Next: Locale Categories Prev: Effects of Locale Up: Locales

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

Choosing a Locale
=================

   The simplest way for the user to choose a locale is to set the
environment variable `LANG'.  This specifies a single locale to use for
all purposes.  For example, a user could specify a hypothetical locale
named `espana-castellano' to use the standard conventions of most of
Spain.

   The set of locales supported depends on the operating system you are
using, and so do their names.  We can't make any promises about what
locales will exist, except for one standard locale called `C' or
`POSIX'.  Later we will describe how to construct locales.

   A user also has the option of specifying different locales for
different purposes--in effect, choosing a mixture of multiple locales.

   For example, the user might specify the locale `espana-castellano'
for most purposes, but specify the locale `usa-english' for currency
formatting.  This might make sense if the user is a Spanish-speaking
American, working in Spanish, but representing monetary amounts in US
dollars.

   Note that both locales `espana-castellano' and `usa-english', like
all locales, would include conventions for all of the purposes to which
locales apply.  However, the user can choose to use each locale for a
particular subset of those purposes.