GENCAT(1)

NAME
gencat - generates a Native Language Support (NLS) message catalog file

SYNOPSIS
gencat [-]? catalog-file message-file [message-file ...]

DESCRIPTION
The gencat command reads one or more files containing message strings that will be displayed using the catgets(3) library call. From these files it generates a message catalog which is loaded dynamically by the Native Language Support (NLS) library at run time.

The message description files are text files in the format described below.

The message catalog file is a binary file. If it already exists, it will be truncated when gencat is run.

Error messages are grouped into sets, and a program can load a particular set depending on which type, or language, of messages is desired.

The -? option flag prints the usage message.

MESSAGE FILE FORMAT
Empty lines and leading blanks are ignored.

$set NN
    Determines the set to be used for all subsequent messages. NN is an integer greater than 0.

$delset NN
    Removes a set from the catalog. NN is an integer greater than 0.

    If a set was created earlier in the current file, or in a file previously read by the gencat command, this command will remove it.

$quote C
    Sets a quote character to be used around the messages. C may be any character other than white space.

    If this is specified, then messages must begin and end with the quote character. By default no quote character is used. If none is specified, then the current quote character is unset. This is useful when messages must contain leading white space.

NN message
    Defines a message. NN is an integer greater than 0.

    The message is read until the end of the line or a quote character (if one is specified). If no message is provided, the message with the number NN is removed from the catalog. If no "set" has been created, this command generates an error.

Messages may contain any characters, however the "\" is special as an escape character, where the following instances are allowed:

    \\	Generates a single backslash.
    \n	Generates a newline (as defined by the C compiler).
    \t	Generates a tab (as defined by the C compiler).
    \v	Generates a vertical tab (as defined by the C compiler).
    \b	Generates a backspace (as defined by the C compiler).
    \r	Generates a carriage return (as defined by the C compiler).
    \f	Generates a form feed (as defined by the C compiler).
    \NNN	Generates the character corresponding to the specified
    	octal number.
    \EOL	A backslash at the end of line continues the message onto
    	the next line.
    \quote	A backslash preceding the current quote character generates
    	the quote character.

SEE ALSO
catclose(3), catgets(3), catopen(3), nls(7)

AUTHORS
The Native Language Support (NLS) message catalog facility was contributed by J.T. Conklin <jtc@NetBSD.org>. This page was written by Kee Hinckley <nazgul@somewhere.com>.