msgfmt (1) - Linux Manuals

msgfmt: compile message catalog to binary format

NAME

msgfmt - compile message catalog to binary format

SYNOPSIS

msgfmt [OPTION] filename.po ...

DESCRIPTION

Generate binary message catalog from textual translation description.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too. Similarly for optional arguments.

Input file location:

filename.po ...
input files
-D, --directory=DIRECTORY
add DIRECTORY to list for input files search

If input file is -, standard input is read.

Operation mode:

-j, --java
Java mode: generate a Java ResourceBundle class
--java2
like --java, and assume Java2 (JDK 1.2 or higher)
--csharp
C# mode: generate a .NET .dll file
--csharp-resources
C# resources mode: generate a .NET .resources file
--tcl
Tcl mode: generate a tcl/msgcat .msg file
--qt
Qt mode: generate a Qt .qm file
--desktop
Desktop Entry mode: generate a .desktop file
--xml
XML mode: generate XML file

Output file location:

-o, --output-file=FILE
write output to specified file
--strict
enable strict Uniforum mode

If output file is -, output is written to standard output.

Output file location in Java mode:

-r, --resource=RESOURCE
resource name
-l, --locale=LOCALE
locale name, either language or language_COUNTRY
--source
produce a .java file, instead of a .class file
-d DIRECTORY
base directory of classes directory hierarchy

The class name is determined by appending the locale name to the resource name, separated with an underscore. The -d option is mandatory. The class is written under the specified directory.

Output file location in C# mode:

-r, --resource=RESOURCE
resource name
-l, --locale=LOCALE
locale name, either language or language_COUNTRY
-d DIRECTORY
base directory for locale dependent .dll files

The -l and -d options are mandatory. The .dll file is written in a subdirectory of the specified directory whose name depends on the locale.

Output file location in Tcl mode:

-l, --locale=LOCALE
locale name, either language or language_COUNTRY
-d DIRECTORY
base directory of .msg message catalogs

The -l and -d options are mandatory. The .msg file is written in the specified directory.

Desktop Entry mode options:

-l, --locale=LOCALE
locale name, either language or language_COUNTRY
-o, --output-file=FILE
write output to specified file
--template=TEMPLATE
a .desktop file used as a template
-d DIRECTORY
base directory of .po files
-kWORD, --keyword=WORD
look for WORD as an additional keyword
-k, --keyword
do not to use default keywords

The -l, -o, and --template options are mandatory. If -D is specified, input files are read from the directory instead of the command line arguments.

XML mode options:

-l, --locale=LOCALE
locale name, either language or language_COUNTRY
-L, --language=NAME
recognise the specified XML language
-o, --output-file=FILE
write output to specified file
--template=TEMPLATE
an XML file used as a template
-d DIRECTORY
base directory of .po files

The -l, -o, and --template options are mandatory. If -D is specified, input files are read from the directory instead of the command line arguments.

Input file syntax:

-P, --properties-input
input files are in Java .properties syntax
--stringtable-input
input files are in NeXTstep/GNUstep .strings syntax

Input file interpretation:

-c, --check
perform all the checks implied by --check-format, --check-header, --check-domain
--check-format
check language dependent format strings
--check-header
verify presence and contents of the header entry
--check-domain
check for conflicts between domain directives and the --output-file option
-C, --check-compatibility
check that GNU msgfmt behaves like X/Open msgfmt
--check-accelerators[=CHAR]
check presence of keyboard accelerators for menu items
-f, --use-fuzzy
use fuzzy entries in output

Output details:

-a, --alignment=NUMBER
align strings to NUMBER bytes (default: 1)
--endianness=BYTEORDER
write out 32-bit numbers in the given byte order (big or little, default depends on platform)
--no-hash
binary file will not include the hash table

Informative output:

-h, --help
display this help and exit
-V, --version
output version information and exit
--statistics
print statistics about translations
-v, --verbose
increase verbosity level

AUTHOR

Written by Ulrich Drepper.

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to <bug-gnu-gettext [at] gnu.org>.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1995-1998, 2000-2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO

The full documentation for msgfmt is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and msgfmt programs are properly installed at your site, the command
info msgfmt

should give you access to the complete manual.