gencat(1)gencat(1)NAMEgencat - generate a formatted message catalogue
SYNOPSISgencat [-m] catfile msgfile ...
DESCRIPTION
The gencat utility merges the message text source file(s) msgfile into a
formatted message database catfile. The database catfile will be created
if it does not already exist. If catfile does exist its messages will be
included in the new catfile. If set and message numbers collide, the new
message text defined in msgfile will replace the old message text
currently contained in catfile. The message text source file (or set of
files) input to gencat can contain either set and message numbers or
simply message numbers, in which case the set NL_SETD [see nl_types(5)]
is assumed.
The meanings of the options are:
-m Use memory allocated by the malloc() routine, instead of memory
mapped allocation routine mmap().
-t textmax
This is optional. This parameter textmax allows gencat to
dynamically allocate the message text area. If not specified, then
the NL_TEXTMAX define is used for the message text length. If the
-t option parameter is present, then the textmax input must be a
decimal number in the range of (0-32767). If textmax is specified
and is not in the range (0-32767) or is not greater than
NL_TEXTMAX, then the message text length maximum is set to
NL_TEXTMAX.
The format of a message text source file is defined as follows. Note
that the fields of a message text source line are separated by a single
ASCII space or tab character. Any other ASCII spaces or tabs are
considered as being part of the subsequent field.
$set n comment
Where n specifies the set identifier of the following messages until
the next $set, $delset or end-of-file appears. n must be a number
in the range (1-{NL_SETMAX}). Set identifiers within a single
source file need not be contiguous. Any string following the set
identifier is treated as a comment. If no $set directive is
specified in a message text source file, all messages will be
located in the default message set NL_SETD.
$delset n comment
Deletes message set n from an existing message catalogue. Any
string following the set number is treated as a comment.
(Note: if n is not a valid set, it is ignored.)
Page 1
gencat(1)gencat(1)
$ comment
A line beginning with a dollar symbol ($) followed by an ASCII space
or tab character is treated as a comment.
m message text
The m denotes the message identifier, which is a number in the range
(1-{NL_MSGMAX}). The message text is stored in the message
catalogue with the set identifier specified by the last $set
directive, and with message identifier m. If the message text is
empty, and an ASCII space or tab field separator is present, an
empty string is stored in the message catalogue. If a message
source line has a message number, but neither a field separator nor
message text, the existing message with that number (if any) is
deleted from the catalogue. Message identifiers need not be
contiguous. The length of message text must be in the range
(0-{NL_TEXTMAX}).
$quote c
This line specifies an optional quote character c, which can be used
to surround message text so that trailing spaces or null (empty)
messages are visible in a message source line. By default, or if an
empty $quote directive is supplied, no quoting of message text will
be recognized.
Empty lines in a message text source file are ignored.
Text strings can contain the special characters and escape sequences
defined in the following table:
___________________________________________
Description Symbol Sequence
___________________________________________
newline NL(LF) \n
horizontal tab HT \t
vertical tab VT \v
backspace BS \b
carriage return CR \r
form feed FF \f
backslash \ \\
bit pattern ddd \ddd
___________________________________________
|
|
If the character following a backslash is not one of those specified, the
backslash is ignored. The escape sequence \ddd consists of backslash
followed by 1, 2, or 3 octal digits, which are taken to specify the value
of the desired character.
Backslash followed by an ASCII newline character is also used to continue
a string on the following line. Thus, the following two lines describe a
single message string:
Page 2
gencat(1)gencat(1)
1 This line continues \
to the next line
which is equivalent to:
1 This line continues to the next line
FILES
/usr/lib/locale/locale/LC_MESSAGES/uxmesg
language-specific message file [See LANG on environ(5).]
SEE ALSOmkmsgs(1), catopen(3C), catgets(3C), catclose(3C), gettxt(3C),
nl_types(5)NOTES
This version of gencat is built on the mkmsgs utility. The gencat
database consists of two files, catfile.m, which is a mkmsgs format
catalogue, and catfile, which contains the information required to
translate a set and message number into a simple message number that can
be used in a call to gettxt.
Using gettxt constrains the catalogues to be located in a subdirectory
under /usr/lib/locale. This restriction is lifted by placing only a
symbolic link to the catalogue in the directory
/usr/lib/locale/Xopen/LC_MESSAGES when the catalogue is opened. It is
this link that gettxt uses when attempting to access the catalogue. The
link is removed when the catalogue is closed but occasionally as
applications exit abnormally without closing catalogues redundant
symbolic links will be left in the directory.
For compatibility with previous versions of gencat released in a number
of specialized internationalization products, the -m option is supplied.
This option will cause gencat to build a single file catfile which is
compatible with the format catalogues produced by the earlier versions.
The retrieval routines detect the type of catalogue they are using and
will act appropriately.
Page 3
