msgcmp

msgcmp [OPTIONS] PO-FILE1 PO-FILE2

--check-format
    Check that message formats match.

--debug
    Enable verbose output for debugging purposes.

--fuzzy
    Only compare fuzzy translations.

--quiet
    Suppress non-error messages.

--verbose
    Increase verbosity of output.

--version
    Display version information and exit.

--help
    Display help information and exit.

PO-FILE1
    The reference PO file.

PO-FILE2
    The PO file to check against the reference.

msgcmp compares two GNU gettext message catalogs, typically .po files, and identifies entries in the second catalog that have either missing translations, fuzzy translations, or incorrect translations when compared to corresponding entries in the first catalog. It is primarily used to ensure that translations in an updated catalog are accurate and complete relative to a previous version or template. The command outputs discrepancies to standard output, allowing translators to easily identify and address issues, ensuring consistency and quality in localized software. It helps maintaining and improving translation quality in software projects using the gettext framework.

The command assumes that message IDs (msgid) are consistent between the two files. If message IDs differ, the comparison might yield inaccurate results.

The exit status is 0 if no differences were found, and non-zero otherwise.

msgcmp is part of the GNU gettext utilities, which were designed to internationalize and localize software. gettext has been around since the early 1990s. msgcmp itself was developed to facilitate the maintenance of translations in large projects, ensuring that updates to the original text are reflected in the translated versions.

msgfmt(1), msgmerge(1)