An application’s localization determines:
The language for Client-Library and Adaptive Server messages
The format that datetime values have
The character set and sort order that are used when converting and comparing strings
On most platforms, Client-Library uses environment variables to determine the default localization values that an application will use.
The locales file associates locale names with languages, character sets, and sort orders. Open Client/Server products use the locales file when loading localization information. Entries in a locales file can be added or modified, as an application’s requirements dictate.
If the default localization values for an environment meet an application’s requirements, no further localization is necessary. If the default values do not meet the application’s requirements, custom localization values can be set using a CS_LOCALE structure. An application can set localization values at the context, connection, or data-element levels.