gencat(1) - NetBSD Manual Pages

GENCAT(1)               NetBSD General Commands Manual               GENCAT(1)


NAME

     gencat -- generates a Native Language Support (NLS) message catalog file


SYNOPSIS

     gencat [-?] catalog-file message-file [message-file ...]


DESCRIPTION

     The gencat command reads one or more files containing message strings
     that will be displayed using the catgets(3) library call.  From these
     files it generates a message catalog which is loaded dynamically by the
     Native Language Support (NLS) library at run time.

     The message description files are text files in the format described
     below.

     The message catalog file is a binary file.  If it already exists, it will
     be truncated when gencat is run.

     Error messages are grouped into sets, and a program can load a particular
     set depending on which type, or language, of messages is desired.

     The -? option flag prints the usage message.


MESSAGE FILE FORMAT

     Empty lines and leading blanks are ignored.

     $set NN     Determines the set to be used for all subsequent messages.
                 NN is an integer greater than 0.

     $delset NN  Removes a set from the catalog.  NN is an integer greater
                 than 0.

                 If a set was created earlier in the current file, or in a
                 file previously read by the gencat command, this command will
                 remove it.

     $quote C    Sets a quote character to be used around the messages.  C may
                 be any character other than white space.

                 If this is specified, then messages must begin and end with
                 the quote character.  By default no quote character is used.
                 If none is specified, then the current quote character is
                 unset.  This is useful when messages must contain leading
                 white space.

     NN message  Defines a message.  NN is an integer greater than 0.

                 The message is read until the end of the line or a quote
                 character (if one is specified).  If no message is provided,
                 the message with the number NN is removed from the catalog.
                 If no "set" has been created, this command generates an
                 error.

     Messages may contain any characters, however the "\" is special as an
     escape character, where the following instances are allowed:

           \\      Generates a single backslash.
           \n      Generates a newline (as defined by the C compiler).
           \t      Generates a tab (as defined by the C compiler).
           \v      Generates a vertical tab (as defined by the C compiler).
           \b      Generates a backspace (as defined by the C compiler).
           \r      Generates a carriage return (as defined by the C compiler).
           \f      Generates a form feed (as defined by the C compiler).
           \NNN    Generates the character corresponding to the specified
                   octal number.
           \EOL    A backslash at the end of line continues the message onto
                   the next line.
           \quote  A backslash preceding the current quote character generates
                   the quote character.


SEE ALSO

     catclose(3), catgets(3), catopen(3), nls(7)


AUTHORS

     The Native Language Support (NLS) message catalog facility was contrib-
     uted by J.T. Conklin <jtc@NetBSD.org>.  This page was written by
     Kee Hinckley <nazgul@somewhere.com>.

NetBSD 4.0                      April 29, 1999                      NetBSD 4.0