chcat

List all available categories

$ sudo chcat [[-L|--list]]

$ sudo chcat +[CategoryName] [path/to/file]

$ sudo chcat -- -[CategoryName] [path/to/file]

$ sudo chcat [CategoryName1,CategoryName2,...] [path/to/file]

$ ls [[-Z|--context]] [path/to/file]

$ sudo chcat [[-d|--delete]] [path/to/file]

chcat [-d <source_filename>] [-c <catalog_name>] <output_catalog_file>

-d <source_filename>
    Specifies the path to the message definition source file, which contains the human-readable messages to be compiled into the catalog. This file defines the messages, their sets, and numbers.

-c <catalog_name>
    Provides an internal name for the catalog. This name can be used by applications to identify and load the specific message catalog from the binary file.

<output_catalog_file>
    The path to the binary message catalog file that will be created or updated by the command. This is the file applications will read at runtime to retrieve localized messages.

The chcat command, part of the libxcatalog suite, is a utility designed for managing X/Open-style message catalogs used in application internationalization (i18n). Its primary function is to compile a message definition source file into a binary message catalog or to update an existing catalog. This process involves taking human-readable message definitions (often with .msg or similar extensions) and converting them into a format that can be efficiently accessed by applications at runtime using functions like catgets. While conceptually similar to gencat, chcat offers specific functionalities within the libxcatalog framework. It is not a standard utility found on most GNU/Linux distributions by default and typically requires the installation of libxcatalog.

The chcat command is not a standard GNU/Linux utility and is generally not found on most systems by default. It is specifically part of the libxcatalog project. Its primary use is in a niche context of X/Open message catalog development for internationalization, and its functionality might be confused with more common tools like gencat or file permission commands like chmod.

Internationalization (i18n) is the process of designing a software application so that it can be adapted to various languages and regions without engineering changes. Message catalogs, managed by tools like chcat, are a key component of this, allowing all user-visible text and messages to be stored externally in a localized manner.

The chcat command operates on message catalogs conforming to the X/Open Portability Guide (XPG) standards. These standards define the format and access methods for message catalogs, ensuring a consistent approach to application localization across different Unix-like environments. These catalogs are typically binary files containing messages organized by set and message number.

The chcat utility's history is intertwined with the development of the libxcatalog project, which emerged to provide an implementation of X/Open-style message catalog functionalities on various Unix-like systems. Its purpose is rooted in the broader efforts to standardize and facilitate application internationalization (i18n) since the early days of computing, allowing software to adapt to diverse language and regional preferences.

gencat(1), catgets(3), iconv(1), gettext(1)