gettext(1)							   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 generated 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/LC_MESSAGES where lang is the locale name. If present, the TEXTDO-
       MAINDIR environment variable replaces the pathname component up to lang.

       This command interprets C escape sequences such as 	 for tab. Use \ to print a backslash. To produce a message on  a  line  of  its  own,
       either enter 
 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 output. Instead, those
       messages found in the selected catalog are translated.

OPTIONS

       The following options are supported:

       -d textdomain	       Retrieves translated messages from the domain textdomain, if textdomain is not specified as an operand.
       --domain=textdomain

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

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

       -s		       Behaves like echo(1) (see DESCRIPTION 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.

       LC_MESSAGES	       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 database. If present, replaces /usr/lib/locale.

ATTRIBUTES

       See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:

       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
       |      ATTRIBUTE TYPE	     |	    ATTRIBUTE 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 5.10							    17 Sep 2001 							gettext(1)