gencat(1) General Commands Manual gencat(1)
NAME
gencat - Creates and modifies a message catalog
SYNOPSIS
gencat catalog_file source_file...
STANDARDS
Interfaces documented on this reference page conform to industry standards as follows:
gencat: XCU5.0
Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information about industry standards and associated tags.
OPERANDS
Specifies the message catalog to be modified or created. You can substitute - (a dash) for this operand to direct command results to the
standard output rather than to a file.
[Tru64 UNIX] The convention is to include the extension on the filename of a message catalog. Specifies the message text source
file, or files, used to modify or create the message catalog. You can substitute - (a dash) for this operand to direct gencat to
accept message source data from the standard input.
[Tru64 UNIX] You can also omit the source_file operand to direct gencat to accept message source data from the standard input.
This extension is supported only to ensure backward compatibility for existing scripts. For new scripts, it is recommended that you
specify - (a dash) for source_file when you want gencat to accept message source data from the standard input.
[Tru64 UNIX] The convention is to include the extension on the filename of a message text source file.
DESCRIPTION
The gencat command creates or modifies a message catalog from a message text source file.
A message text source file is a text file that you create to hold messages printed by your program. You can use any text editor to enter
messages into the text source file. Messages can be grouped into sets, generally to represent functional subsets of your program. Each
message has a numeric identifier, which must be unique within its set. The message text source file can also contain commands recognized
by gencat for manipulating sets and individual messages.
[Tru64 UNIX] Programmers can use symbolic names rather than numeric constants to refer to messages within programs. The gencat utility
does not recognize symbolic names, but the mkcatdefs: Accepts messages preceded by a symbolic name and assigns a numeric value to each Cre-
ates a header file that applications can include to map message symbols to their numeric values
[Tru64 UNIX] Therefore, the most convenient way to generate a message catalog is to pass your symbolic constants and associated messages
through mkcatdefs and then pass its output to gencat.
If a message catalog with the name catalog_file exists, gencat modifies it according to the statements in the message source files. If the
catalog does not exist, gencat creates the catalog with the name catalog_file.
You can specify any number of message text source files. The gencat command processes multiple source files one after the other in the
sequence that you specify them. Each successive source file modifies the catalog. If you specify - (a dash) in place of source_file, the
gencat command accepts message source data from the standard input. Note that you can specify a - (dash) for the catalog file (standard
output), the source file (standard input), or both.
The source_file can contain the following commands. Each initial keyword or number must be followed by white space. The gencat utility
ignores any line beginning with a space, a tab, or a $ (dollar sign) character followed by a space, a tab, or a newline character. Thus,
you can use these sequences to start comments in your source_file. Blank lines are also ignored. Finally, you can place comments on the
same line after the $delset, $quote, $len, or $set commands, because the gencat utility ignores anything following the preceding syntax
elements. Inserts text as a message with the identifier message_number. Numbers must be ascending within each set: you can skip a number,
but you cannot go back to add a missing number or replace an existing number during a gencat session.
The value for message_number must be in the range 1 to NL_MSGMAX, which is defined in the <limits.h> header file.
If the message text is empty, and a space or tab field separator is present, an empty string is stored in the message catalog. If a
message source line has a message number, but neither a field separator nor message text, the existing message within that number
(if any) is deleted from the catalog.
Refer to the following description of $len for a discussion of the length limits that apply to message text. Deletes the set of
messages indicated by set_number.
The set_number parameter must be in the range 0 to NL_SETMAX, which is defined in the <limits.h> header file. Sets the quote char-
acter to character. See the explanation later in this section. [Tru64 UNIX] Sets the maximum length allowed for messages in your
catalog. If this command is not used, or if you use it without the max_length argument, the maximum length is 8192 bytes (the value
set by NL_TEXTMAX, which is defined in the <limits.h> header file). XCU does not include the $len command and specifies that the
length of message text be in the range 0 to NL_TEXTMAX.
[Tru64 UNIX] If gencat does not encounter a digit immediately following the single nonblank character separator between $len and
its first argument, the command ignores the rest of the line. Therefore, if you intend to include the optional max_length parameter,
make sure only one space or tab character separates the number from $len. Indicates that all messages entered after this command
are placed in the set indicated by set_number. You can change the set by entering another $set command. However, set numbers must
be entered in ascending order; you cannot go back to a lower-numbered set during the gencat session. If the command is not used, the
default set number is the value of NL_SETD in the <nl_types.h> header file. This value is vendor-defined. On this operating sys-
tem, the NL_SETD value is 1.
The set_number parameter must be in the range 1 to NL_SETMAX, which is defined in the <limits.h> header file.
A line beginning with a digit marks a message to be included in the catalog. You can specify any amount of white space between the message
ID number and the message text; however, one space or tab character is recommended when the message text is not delimited by quotes. When
message text is not quoted, gencat treats additional white space as part of the message. When message text is quoted, gencat ignores all
spaces or tabs between the message ID and the first quotation character.
Escape sequences, like those recognized by the C language, can be used in text; these are listed after the commands. Use a (backslash)
character to continue message text on the following line.
The gencat command does not accept symbolic identifiers.
[Tru64 UNIX] You must run the mkcatdefs command if you want to use symbolic identifiers for messages in your program.
The Escape character (backslash) can be used to include the following special characters in the message text: Inserts a newline (NL or
LF). Inserts a horizontal tab (HT). Inserts a vertical tab (VT). Performs a backspace function (BS). Inserts a carriage return (CR).
Inserts a form feed (FF). Inserts a backslash (). Inserts the single-byte character associated with the octal value represented by the
octal digits ddd. One, two, or three octal digits can be specified; however, you must include leading zeros if the characters following the
octal digits are also valid octal digits. For example, the octal value for $ (dollar sign) is 44. To insert $5.00 into a message, use
445.00, not 445.00, or the 5 will be parsed as part of the octal value. [Tru64 UNIX] Inserts the character associated with the hexa-
decimal value represented by the hexadecimal digits. The gencat command inserts a single-byte character when you specify two valid digits
(dd) and a double-byte character when you specify four valid digits (dddd). See ddd for a way to avoid parsing errors when the hexadecimal
value precedes an actual digit.
You can also include printf() conversion specifications in messages that are printed by the printf() family of calls in C code or by the
printf command in shell scripts.
[Tru64 UNIX] If you display a message from a shell script with the dspmsg command, the only conversion specifications that can be used in
the message are %s and %n$s.
EXIT STATUS
On successful completion, the gencat command returns 0 (zero); on error, the command returns a value greater than zero. When gencat returns
an error value, no action is taken on any commands, and an existing catalog is left unchanged.
ERRORS
[Tru64 UNIX] You can enter the following command to display the messages returned by the gencat command: % dspcat msgfac.cat | grep gencat
EXAMPLES
To use the $set command in a source file to give a group of messages a set number, enter: $set 10 Communication Error Messages
The message set number is 10. All messages following the $set command are assigned that set number, up until the next occurrence of
a $set command. (Set numbers must be assigned in ascending order, but need not be contiguous. Large gaps in the number sequence
are discouraged in order to increase efficiency and performance. There is no performance advantage to using more than one set num-
ber in a catalog.)
You can include a comment in the $set command, but it is not required. To use the $delset command to remove all of the messages
belonging to the specified set from a catalog, enter: $delset 10 Communication Error Messages
The message set is specified by n. The $delset command must be placed in the proper set number order with respect to any $set com-
mands in the same source file. You can include a comment in the $delset command also. Enter the message text and assign message ID
numbers as follows: 12 "file removed"
This command assigns the message ID number 12 to the text that follows it.
You must leave at least one space or tab character between the message ID number and the message text, but you can include more spa-
ces or tabs if you prefer. If you do include more spaces or tabs, they will be ignored when message text is quoted and considered
part of the text when message text is not quoted.
Message numbers must be in ascending order within a single message set, but need not be contiguous.
All text following the message number is included as message text, up to the end of the line. If you place the escape character
(backslash) as the last character on the line, the message text continues on the following line. Consider the following example:
This is the text associated with message number 5.
These two lines define the following single-line message:
This is the text associated with message number 5. The following example shows the effect of a quote character:
$quote " Use a double quote to delimit message text $set 10 Message Facility - Quote command messages 1 "Use the $quote
command to define a character
for delimiting message text"
2 "You can include the "quote" character in a message
by
placing a \ (backslash) in front of it"
3 You can include the "quote" character in a message
by having another character as
the first nonspace
character after the message ID number
$quote 4 You can disable the quote mechanism by
using the
$quote command without
a character after it
In this example, the $quote command defines the " (double quote) as the quote character. The quote character must be the first non-
space character following the message number. Any text following the next occurrence of the quote character is ignored.
The example also shows two ways the quote character can be included in the message text: Place a in front of the quote character.
Use some other character as the first nonspace character following the message number. This disables the quote character only for
that message.
The example also shows the following: A is still required to split a quoted message across lines. To display a in a message,
you must place another in front of it. You can format your message with a newline character by using
. If you use the $quote
command with no character argument, you disable the quote mechanism.
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
The following locale environment variables (see i18n_intro(5) and l10n_intro(5)) affect gencat operation: Provides a default value for
locale category variables that are not set. If any of these variables contains an invalid setting, the gencat command behaves as if none of
them were defined. If set to a non-empty string, overrides values in all locale variables, including LANG. Determines the locale for the
interpretation in text data of byte sequences as characters. Determines the locale used for diagnostic messages. Determines the location
of message catalogs for the processing of LC_MESSAGES.
SEE ALSO
Commands: dspcat(1), dspmsg(1), extract(1), mkcatdefs(1), printf(1), runcat(1), strextract(1), strmerge(1), trans(1)
Functions: catclose(3), catgets(3), catopen(3)
Files: patterns(4)
Others: i18n_intro(5), l10n_intro(5), iconv_intro(5), standards(5)
Writing Software for the International Market
gencat(1)