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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