po4a

Update PO files and documents according to the specified configuration file

$ po4a [path/to/config_file]

po4a [options] configuration_file

po4a is primarily a wrapper script that orchestrates the execution of underlying po4a tools like po4a-gettextize and po4a-updatepo based on a provided configuration file. While the core tools can be invoked directly for specific tasks, the wrapper with a configuration file is the most common and recommended way to manage complex translation projects.

-v, --verbose
    Increase verbosity of output messages.

-d, --debug
    Enable debug messages for detailed operation insights.

--srcdir

po4a (PO for Anything) is a powerful and versatile suite of tools designed to streamline the localization of various text-based formats, including documentation, configuration files, and other structured text. It acts as a crucial bridge between common document formats such as Man pages, DocBook, LaTeX, Markdown, Pod, XML, and the widely-used Gettext internationalization system. The core workflow involves converting an original document into a Gettext Portable Object (PO) file, which contains all translatable strings. Translators then utilize standard Gettext tools like poedit or msgfmt to translate this PO file. Once the translation is complete, po4a can seamlessly merge the translated strings back into the original document format, generating a fully localized version. This innovative approach centralizes translation efforts, leverages mature and robust translation tools, and ensures consistency across diverse document types by standardizing the translation process through PO files. po4a is particularly valuable for open-source projects, software documentation, and any endeavor requiring efficient maintenance of multi-language content.

po4a requires a solid understanding of the Gettext internationalization framework for effective use. Its powerful flexibility means configuration can become complex, especially when dealing with numerous document formats or a large number of languages. While highly robust, its reliance on specific format parsers means that unusual or malformed syntax in source documents might occasionally lead to unexpected parsing issues. Furthermore, po4a is primarily a command-line utility designed for automated batch processing, not a graphical editor, requiring users to be comfortable with terminal-based workflows and external Gettext translation tools.

po4a projects are typically managed using a po4a.conf file. This plain-text configuration defines the translation units, specifies the source (master) and destination (localized) paths, sets up format-specific options, and links PO files to document pairs. This centralized configuration enables complex multi-document, multi-language localization workflows to be consistently automated.

po4a boasts extensive support for a wide array of document and text formats, thanks to its modular design. Notable supported formats include man, pod, sgml, xml, docbook, latex, markdown, texinfo, text, ini files, yml files, and many more. Each format is handled by a dedicated parser module, ensuring accurate extraction and merging of translatable strings.

The standard po4a workflow involves three conceptual steps, often automated by the main po4a wrapper script and configuration:
1. Extraction: Using po4a-gettextize to extract translatable strings from master documents into initial PO (or POT) files.
2. Synchronization & Merging: Using po4a-updatepo to keep PO files synchronized with updates in master documents and to merge new translations from translators.
3. Generation: Using po4a-translate (or implicitly by po4a-updatepo) to generate localized versions of the documents from the translated PO files.

po4a development was initiated by Nicolas François, primarily driven by the need to efficiently translate documentation within the Debian project. The first significant public releases appeared around 2002-2003. Since then, it has been under continuous development and maintenance, steadily expanding its support for various document formats and enhancing its parsing capabilities. Its design focuses on leveraging the mature and widely adopted Gettext system, making it a robust solution for large-scale documentation localization.

gettext(1), msgfmt(1), msgmerge(1), xgettext(1), man(1), poedit