msgfmt: Compile message catalog to binary format

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

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.

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

msgfmt (1)

SYNOPSIS