# MSGFMT

NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
AUTHOR
REPORTING BUGS
COPYRIGHT
SEE ALSO

## 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@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.