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
Reporting Bugs
Report bugs in the bug tracker at <https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gettext> or by email to <bug-gettext@gnu.org>.
Copyright
Copyright © 1995-2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://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.