# MSGEN

NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
AUTHOR
REPORTING BUGS
COPYRIGHT
SEE ALSO

## NAME

msgen − create English message catalog

## SYNOPSIS

msgen [OPTION] INPUTFILE

## DESCRIPTION

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.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

Input file location:
INPUTFILE

input PO or POT file

−D, −−directory=DIRECTORY

add DIRECTORY to list for input files search

If input file is -, standard input is read.

Output file location:
−o, −−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 -.

Input file syntax:
−P, −−properties−input

input file is in Java .properties syntax

−−stringtable−input

input file is in NeXTstep/GNUstep .strings syntax

Output details:
−−lang=CATALOGNAME

set ’Language’ field in the header entry

−−color

use colors and other text attributes always

−−color=WHEN

use colors and other text attributes if WHEN. WHEN may be ’always’, ’never’, ’auto’, or ’html’.

−−style=STYLEFILE

specify CSS style rule file for −−color

−e, −−no−escape

do not use C escapes in output (default)

−E, −−escape

use C escapes in output, no extended chars

−−force−po

write PO file even if empty

−i, −−indent

indented output style

−−no−location

suppress ’#: filename:line’ lines

−n, −−add−location

preserve ’#: filename:line’ lines (default)

−−strict

strict Uniforum output style

−p, −−properties−output

write out a Java .properties file

−−stringtable−output

write out a NeXTstep/GNUstep .strings file

−w, −−width=NUMBER

set output page width

−−no−wrap

do not break long message lines, longer than the output page width, into several lines

−s, −−sort−output

generate sorted output

−F, −−sort−by−file

sort output by file location

Informative output:
−h, −−help

display this help and exit

−V, −−version

output version information and exit

## AUTHOR

Written by Bruno Haible.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to <bug-gnu-gettext@gnu.org>.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2001-2010 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 msgen is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and msgen programs are properly installed at your site, the command

info msgen

should give you access to the complete manual.