Engineer for Unicode CLDR tool Freelance

Background: The Unicode Common Locale Data Repository provides key building blocks for software to support the world’s languages, with the largest and most extensive standard repository of locale data available. It is a key component of ICU, which is widely used for fundamental internationalization support (on every smartphone, for example). The data is collected in a joint effort by multiple organizations in Unicode’s CLDR “Survey Tool”; see Survey tool guide. The tool provides mechanisms for resolving conflicts, including a voting resolution process, and a forum for discussing disputes. It also provides many tests on the quality of the entered data to avoid problems such as duplicate names.

Goals: Unicode is looking for one or more contract engineers to work on the CLDR survey tool. The main goals are performance improvement and functional enhancements to help increase the data quality. The period may last up to the end of 2018. The tasks can be split among part-time contractors, according to expertise.

• Performance improvement: The tool was designed for a much smaller dataset than it currently handles, both in terms of the number of entries per language and the number of languages. When the tool is slow, it materially affects the throughput of translators. Speeding up the tool reduces the cost of translations, and provides more motivation for others to contribute.

• Functional enhancements: Improving functionalities will make entering translations and fixing errors easier and more efficient. The enhancements would include UI improvements to make the workflow simpler; make it easier for errors to be fixed (such as duplicate names and “logical groupings”); and fix some technical debt on bugs that have accumulated.

Requirements: The role requires expertise in the following areas:

• Java servlet/SQL design and implementation skills (backend)
• HTML/CSS/JavaScript design and implementation skills (frontend)

Bonus skills:

• XML, Unicode
• SVN (Eclipse Subversion) source code management
• Interest in natural languages and/or internationalization

Please send your CV to jobs@unicode.org.