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msgofmt

A command-line tool for compiling Uniforum style .po files into binary .mo files. The tool converts human-readable PO files into machine-readable MO files, which are used by gettext for efficient runtime translation lookup.

Features

  • Compiles PO files into binary MO files
  • Supports multiple input directories for file search
  • Configurable output file name and location
  • Option to force overwrite existing files
  • Control over endianness of output file
  • Option to exclude hash table from binary output
  • Reads from standard input when input file is "-"

Installation

curl -L -o $(go env GOPATH)/bin/msgofmt https://github.com/Tom5521/gotext-tools/releases/latest/download/msgofmt-$(go env GOOS)-$(go env GOARCH) && chmod +x $(go env GOPATH)/bin/msgofmt

Usage

Basic usage:

msgofmt [flags] filename.po

Command Line Options

  • Input/Output Options:

    • --output-file, -o: Write output to specified file (default: "messages.mo").
    • --directory, -D: Add DIRECTORY to list for input files search.
    • --force, -f: Overwrite generated files if they already exist.

  • Binary Format Options:

    • --endianness: Write out 32-bit numbers in the given byte order (options: "big", "little", or "native"; default: "native").
    • --no-hash: Binary file will not include the hash table.

  • Help:

    • --help, -h: Display help information.

Examples

Basic compilation with default output name:

msgofmt translations.po

Compile with custom output file name:

msgofmt -o my-translations.mo translations.po

Compile from standard input to standard output:

msgofmt -o - < translations.po

Compile with forced overwrite:

msgofmt -f -o output.mo translations.po

Compile with big-endian byte order:

msgofmt --endianness=big -o output.mo translations.po

Compile without hash table:

msgofmt --no-hash -o output.mo translations.po

Search for input file in additional directories:

msgofmt -D locale -D translations -o output.mo es.po

How It Works

  1. Input File:

    • Reads a PO file containing translations in human-readable format.
    • If input file is "-", reads from standard input.

  2. Compilation Process:

    • Parses the PO file structure and validates its contents.
    • Converts text-based translations into binary format.
    • Optionally includes a hash table for faster lookups (unless disabled).
    • Handles byte order according to specified endianness.

  3. Output:

    • Generates a binary MO file that can be used by gettext-enabled applications.
    • Outputs to specified file or standard output if "-" is specified.

Acknowledgments

  • gettext - The GNU internationalization and localization system that defined the PO/MO file formats.
  • gotext - The Go internationalization library this tool is designed to work with.