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10.1 Invoking the `msgfmt' Program
==================================
msgfmt [OPTION] FILENAME.po ...
The `msgfmt' programs generates a binary message catalog from a
textual translation description.
10.1.1 Input file location
--------------------------
`FILENAME.po ...'
`-D DIRECTORY'
`--directory=DIRECTORY'
Add DIRECTORY to the list of directories. Source files are
searched relative to this list of directories. The resulting `.po'
file will be written relative to the current directory, though.
If an input file is `-', standard input is read.
10.1.2 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 containing a subclass of
`GettextResourceSet'.
`--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.
10.1.3 Output file location
---------------------------
`-o FILE'
`--output-file=FILE'
Write output to specified file.
`--strict'
Direct the program to work strictly following the Uniforum/Sun
implementation. Currently this only affects the naming of the
output file. If this option is not given the name of the output
file is the same as the domain name. If the strict Uniforum mode
is enabled the suffix `.mo' is added to the file name if it is not
already present.
We find this behaviour of Sun's implementation rather silly and so
by default this mode is _not_ selected.
If the output FILE is `-', output is written to standard output.
10.1.4 Output file location in Java mode
----------------------------------------
`-r RESOURCE'
`--resource=RESOURCE'
Specify the resource name.
`-l LOCALE'
`--locale=LOCALE'
Specify the locale name, either a language specification of the
form LL or a combined language and country specification of the
form LL_CC.
`-d DIRECTORY'
Specify the 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.
10.1.5 Output file location in C# mode
--------------------------------------
`-r RESOURCE'
`--resource=RESOURCE'
Specify the resource name.
`-l LOCALE'
`--locale=LOCALE'
Specify the locale name, either a language specification of the
form LL or a combined language and country specification of the
form LL_CC.
`-d DIRECTORY'
Specify the 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.
10.1.6 Output file location in Tcl mode
---------------------------------------
`-l LOCALE'
`--locale=LOCALE'
Specify the locale name, either a language specification of the
form LL or a combined language and country specification of the
form LL_CC.
`-d DIRECTORY'
Specify the base directory of `.msg' message catalogs.
The `-l' and `-d' options are mandatory. The `.msg' file is written
in the specified directory.
10.1.7 Input file syntax
------------------------
`-P'
`--properties-input'
Assume the input files are Java ResourceBundles in Java
`.properties' syntax, not in PO file syntax.
`--stringtable-input'
Assume the input files are NeXTstep/GNUstep localized resource
files in `.strings' syntax, not in PO file syntax.
10.1.8 Input file interpretation
--------------------------------
`-c'
`--check'
Perform all the checks implied by `--check-format',
`--check-header', `--check-domain'.
`--check-format'
Check language dependent format strings.
If the string represents a format string used in a `printf'-like
function both strings should have the same number of `%' format
specifiers, with matching types. If the flag `c-format' or
`possible-c-format' appears in the special comment <#,> for this
entry a check is performed. For example, the check will diagnose
using `%.*s' against `%s', or `%d' against `%s', or `%d' against
`%x'. It can even handle positional parameters.
Normally the `xgettext' program automatically decides whether a
string is a format string or not. This algorithm is not perfect,
though. It might regard a string as a format string though it is
not used in a `printf'-like function and so `msgfmt' might report
errors where there are none.
To solve this problem the programmer can dictate the decision to
the `xgettext' program ( c-format). The translator should
not consider removing the flag from the <#,> line. This "fix"
would be reversed again as soon as `msgmerge' is called the next
time.
`--check-header'
Verify presence and contents of the header entry. Header
Entry, for a description of the various fields in 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. This will give
an error when attempting to use the GNU extensions.
`--check-accelerators[=CHAR]'
Check presence of keyboard accelerators for menu items. This is
based on the convention used in some GUIs that a keyboard
accelerator in a menu item string is designated by an immediately
preceding `&' character. Sometimes a keyboard accelerator is also
called "keyboard mnemonic". This check verifies that if the
untranslated string has exactly one `&' character, the translated
string has exactly one `&' as well. If this option is given with
a CHAR argument, this CHAR should be a non-alphanumeric character
and is used as keyboard accelerator mark instead of `&'.
`-f'
`--use-fuzzy'
Use fuzzy entries in output. Note that using this option is
usually wrong, because fuzzy messages are exactly those which have
not been validated by a human translator.
10.1.9 Output details
---------------------
`-a NUMBER'
`--alignment=NUMBER'
Align strings to NUMBER bytes (default: 1).
`--no-hash'
Don't include a hash table in the binary file. Lookup will be
more expensive at run time (binary search instead of hash table
lookup).
10.1.10 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.
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