Next: , Previous: , Up: Manipulating PO Files   [Contents][Index]


9.3 Invoking the msggrep Program

msggrep [option] [inputfile]

The msggrep program extracts all messages of a translation catalog that match a given pattern or belong to some given source files.

9.3.1 Input file location

inputfile

Input PO file.

-D directory
--directory=directory

Add directory to the list of directories. Source files are searched relative to this list of directories. The resulting .po file will be written relative to the current directory, though.

If no inputfile is given or if it is ‘-’, standard input is read.

9.3.2 Output file location

-o file
--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 ‘-’.

9.3.3 Message selection

  [-N sourcefile]... [-M domainname]...
  [-J msgctxt-pattern] [-K msgid-pattern] [-T msgstr-pattern]
  [-C comment-pattern]

A message is selected if

When more than one selection criterion is specified, the set of selected messages is the union of the selected messages of each criterion.

msgctxt-pattern or msgid-pattern or msgstr-pattern syntax:

  [-E | -F] [-e pattern | -f file]...

patterns are basic regular expressions by default, or extended regular expressions if -E is given, or fixed strings if -F is given.

-N sourcefile
--location=sourcefile

Select messages extracted from sourcefile. sourcefile can be either a literal file name or a wildcard pattern.

-M domainname
--domain=domainname

Select messages belonging to domain domainname.

-J
--msgctxt

Start of patterns for the msgctxt.

-K
--msgid

Start of patterns for the msgid.

-T
--msgstr

Start of patterns for the msgstr.

-C
--comment

Start of patterns for the translator’s comment.

-X
--extracted-comment

Start of patterns for the extracted comments.

-E
--extended-regexp

Specify that pattern is an extended regular expression.

-F
--fixed-strings

Specify that pattern is a set of newline-separated strings.

-e pattern
--regexp=pattern

Use pattern as a regular expression.

-f file
--file=file

Obtain pattern from file.

-i
--ignore-case

Ignore case distinctions.

-v
--invert-match

Output only the messages that do not match any selection criterion, instead of the messages that match a selection criterion.

9.3.4 Input file syntax

-P
--properties-input

Assume the input file is a Java ResourceBundle in Java .properties syntax, not in PO file syntax.

--stringtable-input

Assume the input file is a NeXTstep/GNUstep localized resource file in .strings syntax, not in PO file syntax.

9.3.5 Output details

--color
--color=when

Specify whether or when to use colors and other text attributes. See The --color option for details.

--style=style_file

Specify the CSS style rule file to use for --color. See The --style option for details.

--force-po

Always write an output file even if it contains no message.

--indent

Write the .po file using indented style.

--no-location

Do not write ‘#: filename:line’ lines.

-n
--add-location=type

Generate ‘#: filename:line’ lines (default).

The optional type can be either ‘full’, ‘file’, or ‘never’. If it is not given or ‘full’, it generates the lines with both file name and line number. If it is ‘file’, the line number part is omitted. If it is ‘never’, it completely suppresses the lines (same as --no-location).

--strict

Write out a strict Uniforum conforming PO file. Note that this Uniforum format should be avoided because it doesn’t support the GNU extensions.

-p
--properties-output

Write out a Java ResourceBundle in Java .properties syntax. Note that this file format doesn’t support plural forms and silently drops obsolete messages.

--stringtable-output

Write out a NeXTstep/GNUstep localized resource file in .strings syntax. Note that this file format doesn’t support plural forms.

-w number
--width=number

Set the output page width. Long strings in the output files will be split across multiple lines in order to ensure that each line’s width (= number of screen columns) is less or equal to the given number.

--no-wrap

Do not break long message lines. Message lines whose width exceeds the output page width will not be split into several lines. Only file reference lines which are wider than the output page width will be split.

--sort-output

Generate sorted output. Note that using this option makes it much harder for the translator to understand each message’s context.

--sort-by-file

Sort output by file location.

9.3.6 Informative output

-h
--help

Display this help and exit.

-V
--version

Output version information and exit.

9.3.7 Examples

To extract the messages that come from the source files gnulib-lib/error.c and gnulib-lib/getopt.c:

msggrep -N gnulib-lib/error.c -N gnulib-lib/getopt.c input.po

To extract the messages that contain the string “Please specify” in the original string:

msggrep --msgid -F -e 'Please specify' input.po

To extract the messages that have a context specifier of either “Menu>File” or “Menu>Edit” or a submenu of them:

msggrep --msgctxt -E -e '^Menu>(File|Edit)' input.po

To extract the messages whose translation contains one of the strings in the file wordlist.txt:

msggrep --msgstr -F -f wordlist.txt input.po

Next: Invoking the msgfilter Program, Previous: Invoking the msgconv Program, Up: Manipulating PO Files   [Contents][Index]