strmerge(1int) strmerge(1int)
Name
strmerge - batch string replacement
Syntax
strmerge [ -m prefix ] [ -p patternfile ] [ -s string ] source-program...
Description
The command reads the strings specified in the message file produced by and replaces those strings with calls to the message file in the
source program to create a new source program. The new version of source program has the same name as the input source program, with the
prefix nl_. For example, if the input source program is named the output source program is named You use this command to replace hard-coded
messages (text strings identified by the command) with calls to the function and to create a source message catalog file. The source mes-
sage catalog contains the text for each message extracted from your input source program. The command names the file by appending .msf to
the name of the input source program. For example, the source message catalog for the program is named You can use the source message cata-
log as input to the command.
At run time, the program reads the message text from the message catalog. By storing messages in a message catalog, instead of your pro-
gram, you allow the text of messages to be translated to a new language or modified without the source program being changed.
In the source-program argument, you name one or more source programs for which you want strings replaced. The command does not replace mes-
sages for source programs included using the directive. Therefore, you might want a source program and all the source programs it includes
on a single command line.
You can create a patterns file (as specified by patternfile ) to control how the command replaces text. The patterns file is divided into
several sections, each of which is identified by a keyword. The keyword must start at the beginning of a new line, and its first character
must be a dollar sign ($). Following the identifier, you specify a number of patterns. Each pattern begins on a new line and follows the
regular expression syntax you use in the editor. For more information on the patterns file, see the reference page.
Options
-m Add prefix to message numbers in the output source program and source message catalog. You can use this prefix as a mnemonic. You
must process source message catalogs that contain number prefixes using the option. Message numbers will be in the form:
<prefix><msg_num>
Set numbers will be in the form:
S_<prefix><set_num>
If you process your input source program with this option, the resulting source program and source message catalog may not be porta-
ble. For more information, see the Guide to Developing International Software.
-p Use patternfile to match strings in the input source program. By default, the command searches for the pattern file in the current
directory, your home directory and finally
If you omit the option, the command uses a default patterns file that is stored in
-s Write string at the top of the source message catalog. If you omit the option, uses the string specified in the section of the pat-
terns file.
Restrictions
You can specify only one rewrite string for all classes of pattern matches.
The command does not verify if the message text file matches the source file being rewritten.
The command does not replace strings to files included with directive. You must run the command on these files separately.
Examples
The following produces a message file for a program called
% strextract -p c_patterns prog.c prog2.c
% vi prog.msg
% strmerge -p c_patterns prog.c prog2.c
% gencat prog.cat prog.msf
% vi nl_prog.c
% vi nl_prog2.c
% cc nl_prog.c nl_prog2.c -li
In this example, the command uses the file to determine which strings to match. The input source programs are named and
If you need to remove any of the messages or extract one of the created strings, edit the resulting message file, Under no conditions
should you add to this file. Doing so could result in unpredictable behavior.
You issue the command to replace the extracted strings with calls to the message catalog. In response to this command, creates the source
message catalogs, and and the output source programs, and
Before compiling the source programs, you must edit and to include the appropriate and function calls.
The command creates a message catalog and the command creates an executable program.
See Also
intro(3int), extract(1int), gencat(1int), strextract(1int), trans(1int), regex(3), catopen(3int), catgets(3int), patterns(5int)
Guide to Developing International Software
strmerge(1int)