gettext(1)




NAME

     gettext - retrieve text string from message database


SYNOPSIS

     gettext [-d textdomain | --domain=textdomain]   [textdomain]
     msgid

     gettext -s [-e] [-n] [-d textdomain  |  --domain=textdomain]
     msgid...


DESCRIPTION

     The gettext  utility  retrieves  a  translated  text  string
     corresponding  to  string  msgid  from a message object gen-
     erated with msgfmt(1). The message object  name  is  derived
     from  the optional argument textdomain if present, otherwise
     from the TEXTDOMAIN environment. If no domain is  specified,
     or if a corresponding string cannot be found, gettext prints
     msgid.

     Ordinarily,  gettext  looks  for  its  message   object   in
     /usr/lib/locale/lang/LC_MESSAGES  where  lang  is the locale
     name. If present,  the  TEXTDOMAINDIR  environment  variable
     replaces the pathname component up to lang.

     This command interprets C escape sequences such  as  \t  for
     tab.  Use \\ to print a backslash. To produce a message on a
     line of its own, either enter \n at the end of msgid, or use
     this command in conjunction with printf(1).

     When used with the -s option, gettext behaves like  echo(1).
     But  it  does not simply copy its arguments to standard out-
     put. Instead, those messages found in the  selected  catalog
     are translated.


OPTIONS

     The following options are supported:

     -d textdomain

     --domain=textdomain
           Retrieves  translated   messages   from   the   domain
           textdomain,  if  textdomain  is  not  specified  as an
           operand.

     -e    Enables expansion of some  escape  sequences  if  used
           with the -s option.

     -n    Suppresses  trailing  newline  if  used  with  the  -s
           option.

     -s    Behaves like echo(1) (see DESCRIPTION above).  If  the
           -s  option  is  specified,  no  expansion  of C escape
           sequences is performed  and  a  newline  character  is
           appended to the output, by default.


OPERANDS

     The following operands are supported:

     textdomain
           A domain name used  to  retrieve  the  messages.  This
           overrides  the  specification  by  the  -d or --domain
           options, if present.

     msgid A key to retrieve the localized message.


ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

     LANG  Specifies locale name.

     LC_MESSAGES
           Specifies messaging locale, and if  present  overrides
           LANG for messages.

     TEXTDOMAIN
           Specifies the text domain name, which is identical  to
           the message object filename without .mo suffix.

     TEXTDOMAINDIR
           Specifies the pathname to  the  message  database.  If
           present, replaces /usr/lib/locale.


ATTRIBUTES

     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:

     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Availability                | SUNWcsu                     |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|


SEE ALSO

     echo(1), msgfmt(1), printf(1),  gettext(3C),  setlocale(3C),
     attributes(5)


NOTES

     This  is  the  shell  equivalent  of  the  library   routine
     gettext(3C).


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