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


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




SunOS 5.11          Last change: 17 Sep 2001                    1






User Commands                                          gettext(1)



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


     -s                        Behaves like echo(1) (see DESCRIP-
                               TION  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.


     LCMESAGES      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 data-
                      base. If present, replaces /usr/lib/locale.


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












SunOS 5.11          Last change: 17 Sep 2001                    2






User Commands                                          gettext(1)



     
           ATRIBUTE TYPE               ATRIBUTE 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).









































SunOS 5.11          Last change: 17 Sep 2001                    3