XGETTEXT

Section: GNU (1)
Updated: November 2007
Index Return to Main Contents
 

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, GCC-source, NXStringTable, RST, Glade)
-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
-c, --add-comments[=TAG]
place comment block with TAG (or those preceding keyword lines) in output file
 

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)
-k, --keyword[=WORD]
additional keyword to be looked for (without WORD means 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)
--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)
-T, --trigraphs
understand ANSI C trigraphs for input (only languages C, C++, ObjectiveC)
--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:

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

Informative output:

-h, --help
display this help and exit
-V, --version
output version information and exit
 

AUTHOR

Written by Ulrich Drepper.  

REPORTING BUGS

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

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1995-1998, 2000-2007 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 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.