Next: , Previous: , Up: Manipulating PO Files   [Contents][Index]


9.9 Invoking the msgen Program

msgen [option] inputfile

The msgen program creates an English translation catalog. The input file is the last created English PO file, or a PO Template file (generally created by xgettext). Untranslated entries are assigned a translation that is identical to the msgid.

Note: ‘msginit --no-translator --locale=en’ performs a very similar task. The main difference is that msginit cares specially about the header entry, whereas msgen doesn’t.

9.9.1 Input file location

inputfile

Input PO or POT file.

-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 inputfile is ‘-’, standard input is read.

9.9.2 Output file location

-o file
--output-file=file

Write output to specified file.

The results are written to standard output if no output file is specified or if it is ‘-’.

9.9.3 Input file syntax

-P
--properties-input

Assume the input file is a Java ResourceBundle in Java .properties syntax, not in PO file syntax.

--stringtable-input

Assume the input file is a NeXTstep/GNUstep localized resource file in .strings syntax, not in PO file syntax.

9.9.4 Output details

--lang=catalogname

Specify the ‘Language’ field to be used in the header entry. See Filling in the Header Entry for the meaning of this field. Note: The ‘Language-Team’ and ‘Plural-Forms’ fields are not set by this option.

--color
--color=when

Specify whether or when to use colors and other text attributes. See The --color option for details.

--style=style_file

Specify the CSS style rule file to use for --color. See The --style option for details.

--force-po

Always write an output file even if it contains no message.

-i
--indent

Write the .po file using indented style.

--no-location

Do not write ‘#: filename:line’ lines.

-n
--add-location=type

Generate ‘#: filename:line’ lines (default).

The optional type can be either ‘full’, ‘file’, or ‘never’. If it is not given or ‘full’, it generates the lines with both file name and line number. If it is ‘file’, the line number part is omitted. If it is ‘never’, it completely suppresses the lines (same as --no-location).

--strict

Write out a strict Uniforum conforming PO file. Note that this Uniforum format should be avoided because it doesn’t support the GNU extensions.

-p
--properties-output

Write out a Java ResourceBundle in Java .properties syntax. Note that this file format doesn’t support plural forms and silently drops obsolete messages.

--stringtable-output

Write out a NeXTstep/GNUstep localized resource file in .strings syntax. Note that this file format doesn’t support plural forms.

-w number
--width=number

Set the output page width. Long strings in the output files will be split across multiple lines in order to ensure that each line’s width (= number of screen columns) is less or equal to the given number.

--no-wrap

Do not break long message lines. Message lines whose width exceeds the output page width will not be split into several lines. Only file reference lines which are wider than the output page width will be split.

-s
--sort-output

Generate sorted output. Note that using this option makes it much harder for the translator to understand each message’s context.

-F
--sort-by-file

Sort output by file location.

9.9.5 Informative output

-h
--help

Display this help and exit.

-V
--version

Output version information and exit.


Next: Invoking the msgexec Program, Previous: Invoking the msgattrib Program, Up: Manipulating PO Files   [Contents][Index]