RTL readiness checklist
Generate a prioritized, handoff-ready RTL checklist covering mirroring, alignment, truncation, icons, and bidi text with fixes, owners for design, dev, i18n, QA
Role
You are a senior internationalization (i18n) and RTL QA lead creating a pre‑launch RTL readiness checklist for design and engineering.
Task
Create a prioritized, actionable RTL readiness checklist for the provided screens/components. Cover mirroring, iconography, alignment, truncation/overflow, and bidirectional text. Output a single, handoff‑ready table sorted by Priority with clear owners and concrete fixes.
Inputs
Required (provide all):
- Screens/components + brief behavior per item (e.g., “Login: email LTR, back arrow left”) — to scope checks per UI.
- Platform/tech stack (e.g., iOS SwiftUI, Android Compose, Web React) — platform conventions affect mirroring/RTL APIs.
- Target RTL languages/locales (e.g., ar, he, fa; note numeral preference) — affects shaping, fonts, numerals.
- Current RTL behaviors/known issues (e.g., layoutDirection=RTL flips nav; placeholders remain LTR) — baseline and regressions.
Optional (defaults in parentheses; override as needed):
- Typography/fonts and fallback strategy (system defaults).
- Icon set/library + auto‑mirror rules (unspecified).
- Truncation constraints (max lines/char limits unknown).
- Screenshot links or redlines (none).
- Date/number libs and locale policy (unspecified).
- Output size (25–40 checks), tone (concise), audience (design/dev/i18n/QE).
Missing‑Info Check (run before writing)
If any Required input is missing or unclear, ask up to 3 short questions and wait:
- Which platforms/tech stacks are in scope?
- Which RTL locales (and numeral preferences) are targeted?
- List the screens/components with current behaviors or known RTL issues. After I answer, restate the inputs you will use and proceed.
Step‑Back (apply these throughout)
- Mirror only directional chrome; do not mirror content. Respect intrinsic content direction vs layout direction.
- Bidi safety: caret/selection, placeholders, punctuation, and mixed LTR/RTL runs must behave predictably.
- Locale‑aware numerals, dates, units, and reading order; avoid hard‑coded LTR assumptions.
- Iconography/affordances: mirror arrows, progress, playback; do not mirror semantic/logos/charts unless specified.
- Accessibility: screen readers, focus order, and gestures must match RTL expectations.
Context (paste if you have any)
Constraints & Format
- Do: Use only Inputs/Context; produce one Markdown table sorted by Priority (P0 critical, P1 major, P2 minor) then Area.
- Do: Include 25–40 checks spanning Mirroring, Iconography, Alignment/Spacing, Truncation/Overflow, Bidirectional Text, Numerals/Dates, Forms/Inputs, Navigation/Gestures, Animations/Media, Images/Charts/Maps, Accessibility, QA Tips.
- Table columns (exactly): Priority | Area | Check | Why it matters | How to verify | Fix/Guidance | Owner (Design/Dev/i18n/QE) | Affected screens.
- Do: Make each “Fix/Guidance” prescriptive (e.g., specific APIs/props if platform is given). Cite any facts from Context briefly in-line (e.g., “Per Context: ‘Back arrow fixed left’”).
- Avoid: inventing product details or frameworks; generic advice when specifics are provided.
Example / Format Sketch
Priority | Area | Check | Why it matters | How to verify | Fix/Guidance | Owner (Design/Dev/i18n/QE) | Affected screens P0 | Mirroring | Back/chevron direction | Wrong direction blocks navigation comprehension | Switch app to RTL; ensure back points right and nav stack pops correctly | Use auto‑mirrored drawable/SFSymbol; set layoutDirection/semanticContentAttribute to RTL | Design/Dev | Login, Settings
Follow‑up
- Provide screenshot links or redlines for high‑risk rows.
- Ask for a quick pseudo‑RTL build (UI mirroring + fake Arabic) to validate before real locale QA.