GWT in Action, Second Edition

13.7. Localization of dates, times, and currencies

If you’ve lived in only one locale, the idea that dates, numbers, and times might be written and read by users in a different way than you do might come as a surprise. But we’ve got plenty of examples. Start writing times as 4:15 P.M., and although it’s understandable, most Europeans will have to take an extra brain cycle to realize you mean 16:15; whereas write 16:15, and most Americans will need that extra brain cycle to realize you mean 4:15 P.M. Similarly, is the date 8/2 the 8th of February or August 2? Or, would an English speaker understand that the number 50.000 000 presented in German is 50 million and not 50 to 6-decimal precision?

Although we can all cope with things written differently ...