User Commands                                           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/LCMESAGES
     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 ASCI 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/LCMESAGES  directory.



SunOS 5.11          Last change: 26 Jul 1994                    1






User Commands                                           mkmsgs(1)



                   Only someone who is super user or a member  of
                   group  bin  can  create  or overwrite files in
                   this     directory.     Directories      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/LCMESAGES:


       example% mkmsgs -i fr FR.str UX






SunOS 5.11          Last change: 26 Jul 1994                    2






User Commands                                           mkmsgs(1)



     These text strings would be accessed  if  you  had  set  the
     environment  variable LCMESAGES=fr and then invoked one of
     the text retrieval tools listed  at  the  beginning  of  the
     DESCRIPTION section.


FILES
     /usr/lib/locale/locale/LCMESAGES/*

         message files created by mkmsgs


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



     
     ATRIBUTE TYPE                ATRIBUTE VALUE             
     Availability                  SUNWloc                     
    


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




























SunOS 5.11          Last change: 26 Jul 1994                    3