NAME

       xgettext - conditionally extract strings from C programs

SYNOPSIS

       xgettext -d [ cmnopvhP ] [ -odirectory-prefix ] [ -xexclude-list ] [ filename ...  ]
       xgettext [ -amopvhP ] [ -xexclude-list ] [ filename ...  ]

DESCRIPTION

       xgettext  is  used to automate the creation of portable message files.  A portable message
       file contains copies of "C" strings that are found in "C" source code in  filename.   When
       the  -d  option  is  specified, xgettext places the extracted strings in the file name.po.
       name is either the domain specified  in  a  dgettext  call,  or  messages.po  for  strings
       extracted  from  gettext  and  textdomain calls. If the -d flag is not specified, xgettext
       places all the strings in messages.po.  The portable message file can be used as input  to
       the  msgfmt(1)  utility,  which will produce a binary form of the message file than can be
       used at application run-time.

OPTIONS

       -a        Extract ALL strings, not just those found in gettext, dgettext,  and  textdomain
                 calls.

       -cflag    Comments beginning with flag filename on the first line of the comment are added
                 to file filename as # delimited comments.

       -d        Produce duplicates. Does not sort output when writing the portable message  file
                 and  will  not  overwrite existing output files.  Places output from each domain
                 specified in a dgettext call into a separate file  named  for  the  domain,  ie.
                 name.po

       -cflag    Comments beginning with flag filename on the first line of the comment are added
                 to file filename as # delimited comments.

       -mstring  Causes xgettext to fill in the msgstr line of  the  portable  message  files  it
                 produces.   xgettext  uses the corresponding msgid string extracted from the "C"
                 file, appending string.  Useful for debugging purposes.

       -n        Add # delimited line number comments to output file indicating the  line  number
                 in the source file where each extracted string is encountered.

       -ofilename
                 rename the default output file from messages.po to filename.

       -ppathname
                 Specify  the  directory  where  the  output  files  will be placed.  This option
                 overrides the current working directory.

       -xfilename
                 Specify a file that contains a list of strings that are not  be  extracted  from
                 the  input files.  Each string to be excluded must appear on a line by itself in
                 the file filename.

       -P        include strings in pre-processor statements.

       -v        Verbose mode.

       -h        Print a help message on standard output.

FILES

       messages.po   is always created, but may be empty.

SEE ALSO

       msgfmt(1), xstr(1), gettext, dgettext, textdomain(3).

                                           14 Sep 1990                                xgettext(1)