mkmsgs(1)




NAME

     mkmsgs - create message files for use by gettxt


SYNOPSIS

     mkmsgs [-o] [-i locale] inputstrings msgfile


DESCRIPTION

     The mkmsgs utility is used to create a file of text  strings
     that  can  be  accessed  using the text retrieval tools (see
     gettxt(1), srchtxt(1), exstr(1), and  gettxt(3C)).  It  will
     take  as  input a file of text strings for a particular geo-
     graphic locale (see setlocale(3C)) and create a file of text
     strings  in a format that can be retrieved by both gettxt(1)
     and gettxt(3C). By using the -i option, you can install  the
     created  file  under  the /usr/lib/locale/locale/LC_MESSAGES
     directory (locale corresponds to the language in  which  the
     text strings are written).

     inputstrings is the name of the file that contains the  ori-
     ginal  text  strings. msgfile is the name of the output file
     where mkmsgs writes the strings in a format that is readable
     by  gettxt(1)  and gettxt(3C). The name of msgfile can be up
     to 14 characters in length, but may not  contain  either  \0
     (null) or the ASCII code for / (slash) or : (colon).

     The input file contains a set of text strings for  the  par-
     ticular  geographic  locale. Text strings are separated by a
     newline character. Nongraphic characters must be represented
     as alphabetic escape sequences. Messages are transformed and
     copied sequentially from inputstrings to  msgfile.  To  gen-
     erate  an  empty  message in msgfile, leave an empty line at
     the correct place in inputstrings.

     Strings can be changed simply by  editing  the  file  input-
     strings.  New  strings  must be added only at the end of the
     file; then a new msgfile file must be created and  installed
     in the correct place. If this procedure is not followed, the
     retrieval  function  will  retrieve  the  wrong  string  and
     software compatibility will be broken.


OPTIONS

     The following options are supported:

     -o    Overwrite msgfile, if it exists.

     -i locale
           Install           msgfile            in            the
           /usr/lib/locale/locale/LC_MESSAGES    directory.  Only
           someone who is super user or a member of group bin can
           create  or  overwrite  files in this directory. Direc-
           tories under /usr/lib/locale will be created  if  they
           do not exist.


EXAMPLES

     Example 1: Using the mkmsgs command.

     The following example shows an  input  message  source  file
     C.str:

     File %s:\t cannot be opened\n
     %s: Bad directory\n
          .
          .
          .
     write error\n
          .
          .

     Example 2: Using Input Strings From  C.str  to  Create  Text
     Strings in a File

     The following command uses the input strings from  C.str  to
     create text strings in the appropriate format in the file UX
     in the current directory:

     example% mkmsgs C.str UX

     Example 3: Using Input Strings From FR.str  to  Create  Text
     Strings in a File

     The following command uses the input strings from FR.str  to
     create text strings in the appropriate format in the file UX
     in the directory /usr/lib/locale/fr/LC_MESSAGES:

     example% mkmsgs -i fr FR.str UX
     These text strings would be accessed  if  you  had  set  the
     environment variable LC_MESSAGES=fr
      and then invoked one of the text retrieval tools listed  at
     the beginning of the DESCRIPTION section.


FILES

     /usr/lib/locale/locale/LC_MESSAGES/*
           message files created by mkmsgs


ATTRIBUTES

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

     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    | Availability                | SUNWloc                     |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|


SEE ALSO

     exstr(1), gettxt(1), srchtxt(1), gettxt(3C),  setlocale(3C),
     attributes(5)


Man(1) output converted with man2html