GENCAT(1)                       Domain/OS BSD                        GENCAT(1)



NAME
     gencat - generate a formatted message catalog

SYNOPSIS
     gencat catfile msgfile ...

DESCRIPTION
     The gencat utility merges the message text source file(s) msgfile into a
     formatted message catalog catfile.  The file catfile will be created if
     it does not already exist.  If catfile does exist, its messages will be
     included in the new catfile.  If set and message numbers collide, the new
     message text defined in msgfile will replace the old message text
     currently contained in catfile.

     A msgfile consists of message, directive, and comment lines (all without
     leading spaces or tabs) and is defined as follows.  Note that the fields
     of a message text source line are separated by a single ASCII space or
     tab character.  Any other ASCII spaces or tabs are considered as being
     part of the subsequent field.


     $set n [comment]
               A $set directive specifies the set identifier of the following
               messages until the next $set, $delset or end-of-file appears.
               The n denotes the set identifier, which is a number in the
               range [1, {NL_SETMAX}].  Set identifiers must be presented in
               ascending order within a single source file but need not be
               contiguous.  Any string following the set identifier is treated
               as a comment.  If no $set directive is specified in msgfile,
               all messages will be located in the implementation-defined
               default message set NL_SETD.

     $delset n [comment]
               A $delset directive deletes message set n from an existing
               message catalog.  The n denotes the set number [1,
               {NL_SETMAX}].  Any string following the set identifier is
               treated as a comment.

     m message_text
               A message line specifies a message identifier and associated
               message text.  The m denotes the message identifier, which is a
               number in the range [1, {NL_MSGMAX}].  The message identifier m
               is separated from the message_text by a single space or tab
               character.  Extra spaces or tabs, including any trailing spaces
               or tabs, are considered part of the message_text.  The length
               of message_text must be in the range [0, {NL_TEXTMAX}] bytes.
               The message_text is stored in catfile with the set identifier n
               specified by the last $set directive, and with message
               identifier m.  Message numbers must be in ascending order
               within a set but need not be contiguous.

               Note that the space or tab separator distinguishes insertion of
               a null message from deletion of a message. If a message line
               has a number and separator but no text, an empty string is
               stored in catfile.  If a message source line has a message
               number, but has neither a field separator nor message_text, the
               existing message with that number (if any) is deleted from the
               catalog.

     $comment  A line beginning with a $ followed by an ASCII space of tab
               character is treated as a comment and can appear anywhere in

               the msgfile.

     $quote c  A $quote directive specifies an optional quote character c,
               which can be used to surround message_text so that trailing
               spaces or null (empty) messages are visible in a message source
               line.

     NL_TESTMAN, NL_SETMAX, and NL_MSGMAX are defined in <limits.h>.  NL_SETD
     is defined in <nl_types.h>.

NOTES
     Messages will be issued in LANG if it is set to a valid language and LANG
     messages are available. Otherwise C locale messages will be issued.

IMPLEMENTATION
     Follows the X/OPEN Portability Guide XPG3

SEE ALSO
     catdump(1)