Introduction to the gettext.sh Command

The gettext.sh command is a powerful tool for internationalizing applications. It is used to extract strings from source code, translate them into different languages, and compile them into binary message catalogs. It is written in the GNU Bash shell scripting language, and is available for many platforms, including Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Basic usage and syntax

The basic syntax of the gettext.sh command is as follows:

gettext.sh [OPTIONS] [SOURCE_FILES]

The gettext.sh command takes a list of source files as arguments, and extracts strings from them. The extracted strings are then translated into different languages, and compiled into binary message catalogs.

Examples of common use cases

• Extracting strings from source code:

  gettext.sh *.c *.h

• Translating strings into different languages:

  gettext.sh --languages en,fr,de *.c *.h

• Compiling strings into binary message catalogs:

  gettext.sh --output binary *.c *.h

Advanced options and flags

• --help: Display help information.
• --version: Display version information.
• --output: Specify the output format (e.g. binary, text, etc.).
• --languages: Specify the languages to be translated into.
• --encoding: Specify the encoding of the strings.
• --sort-by-msgid: Sort strings by their message ID.
• --sort-by-msgstr: Sort strings by their message string.
• --sort-by-file: Sort strings by the file they were extracted from.
• --sort-by-line: Sort strings by the line they were extracted from.
• --sort-by-context: Sort strings by their context.
• --sort-by-language: Sort strings by the language they were translated into.
• --sort-by-category: Sort strings by their category.
• --sort-by-plural: Sort strings by their plural form.
• --sort-by-comment: Sort strings by their comment.
• --sort-by-translator: Sort strings by the translator.
• --sort-by-date: Sort strings by the date they were translated.
• --sort-by-reference: Sort strings by their reference.
• --sort-by-flags: Sort strings by their flags.
• --sort-by-msgctxt: Sort strings by their message context.
• --sort-by-fuzzy: Sort strings by their fuzzyness.
• --sort-by-obsolete: Sort strings by their obsolete status.

Examples in real-world scenarios

The gettext.sh command is commonly used in software development projects to internationalize applications. For example, if a developer wants to add support for multiple languages to their application, they can use the gettext.sh command to extract strings from their source code, translate them into different languages, and compile them into binary message catalogs.

Troubleshooting tips and potential errors

When using the gettext.sh command, it is important to make sure that the source files are specified correctly. If the source files are not specified correctly, the command will fail to extract strings from them. Additionally, it is important to make sure that the output format is specified correctly. If the output format is not specified correctly, the command will fail to compile the strings into binary message catalogs.