NAME

       xgettext - extract gettext strings from source

SYNOPSIS

       xgettext [OPTION] [INPUTFILE]...

DESCRIPTION

       Extract translatable strings from given input files.

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

   Input file location:
       INPUTFILE ...
              input files

       -f, --files-from=FILE
              get list of input files from FILE

       -D, --directory=DIRECTORY
              add DIRECTORY to list for input files search

       If input file is -, standard input is read.

   Output file location:
       -d, --default-domain=NAME
              use NAME.po for output (instead of messages.po)

       -o, --output=FILE
              write output to specified file

       -p, --output-dir=DIR
              output files will be placed in directory DIR

       If output file is -, output is written to standard output.

   Choice of input file language:
       -L, --language=NAME
              recognise the specified language (C, C++,  ObjectiveC,  PO,  Shell,  Python,  Lisp,
              EmacsLisp,  librep,  Scheme,  Smalltalk,  Java,  JavaProperties, C#, awk, YCP, Tcl,
              Perl, PHP, Ruby, GCC-source, NXStringTable, RST, RSJ, Glade, Lua, JavaScript, Vala,
              Desktop)

       -C, --c++
              shorthand for --language=C++

       By default the language is guessed depending on the input file name extension.

   Input file interpretation:
       --from-code=NAME
              encoding of input files (except for Python, Tcl, Glade)

       By default the input files are assumed to be in ASCII.

   Operation mode:
       -j, --join-existing
              join messages with existing file

       -x, --exclude-file=FILE.po
              entries from FILE.po are not extracted

       -cTAG, --add-comments=TAG
              place comment blocks starting with TAG and preceding keyword lines in output file

       -c, --add-comments
              place all comment blocks preceding keyword lines in output file

       --check=NAME
              perform syntax check on messages (ellipsis-unicode, space-ellipsis,

              quote-unicode, bullet-unicode)

       --sentence-end=TYPE
              type describing the end of sentence (single-space, which is the default,

              or double-space)

   Language specific options:
       -a, --extract-all
              extract  all  strings  (only  languages  C,  C++,  ObjectiveC, Shell, Python, Lisp,
              EmacsLisp, librep, Scheme, Java, C#, awk, Tcl, Perl, PHP, GCC-source,  Glade,  Lua,
              JavaScript, Vala)

       -kWORD, --keyword=WORD
              look for WORD as an additional keyword

       -k, --keyword
              do  not  to use default keywords (only languages C, C++, ObjectiveC, Shell, Python,
              Lisp, EmacsLisp, librep, Scheme, Java, C#, awk, Tcl, Perl, PHP, GCC-source,  Glade,
              Lua, JavaScript, Vala, Desktop)

       --flag=WORD:ARG:FLAG
              additional flag for strings inside the argument number ARG of keyword WORD

       (only languages C, C++, ObjectiveC, Shell,
              Python,  Lisp,  EmacsLisp,  librep,  Scheme,  Java,  C#,  awk, YCP, Tcl, Perl, PHP,
              GCC-source, Lua, JavaScript, Vala)

       -T, --trigraphs
              understand ANSI C trigraphs for input (only languages C, C++, ObjectiveC)

       --its=FILE
              apply ITS rules from FILE (only XML based languages)

       --qt   recognize Qt format strings (only language C++)

       --kde  recognize KDE 4 format strings (only language C++)

       --boost
              recognize Boost format strings (only language C++)

       --debug
              more detailed formatstring recognition result

   Output details:
       --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
              write the .po file using indented style

       --no-location
              do not write '#: filename:line' lines

       -n, --add-location
              generate '#: filename:line' lines (default)

       --strict
              write out strict Uniforum conforming .po file

       --properties-output
              write out a Java .properties file

       --stringtable-output
              write out a NeXTstep/GNUstep .strings file

       --itstool
              write out itstool comments

       -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

       --omit-header
              don't write header with 'msgid ""' entry

       --copyright-holder=STRING
              set copyright holder in output

       --foreign-user
              omit FSF copyright in output for foreign user

       --package-name=PACKAGE
              set package name in output

       --package-version=VERSION
              set package version in output

       --msgid-bugs-address=EMAIL@ADDRESS
              set report address for msgid bugs

       -m[STRING], --msgstr-prefix[=STRING]
              use STRING or "" as prefix for msgstr values

       -M[STRING], --msgstr-suffix[=STRING]
              use STRING or "" as suffix for msgstr values

   Informative output:
       -h, --help
              display this help and exit

       -V, --version
              output version information and exit

       -v, --verbose
              increase verbosity level

AUTHOR

       Written by Ulrich Drepper.

REPORTING BUGS

       Report bugs in the bug tracker at <https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gettext> or by  email
       to <bug-gettext@gnu.org>.

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright © 1995-2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or
       later <https://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 xgettext is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the info and
       xgettext programs are properly installed at your site, the command

              info xgettext

       should give you access to the complete manual.