msgcmp
Compare message catalogs (.po) with source code
SYNOPSIS
msgcmp [OPTIONS] PO-FILE1 PO-FILE2
PARAMETERS
--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.
DESCRIPTION
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.
CAVEATS
The command assumes that message IDs (msgid) are consistent between the two files. If message IDs differ, the comparison might yield inaccurate results.
EXIT STATUS
The exit status is 0 if no differences were found, and non-zero otherwise.
HISTORY
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.