---
name: "intltool-merge"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "intltool"
version: "0.51.0-6"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/intltool-merge"
---

# intltool-merge(8)

merge translated strings into various types of file

## NAME

intltool-merge - merge translated strings into various types of file

## SYNOPSIS

**intltool-merge** *\[option\]... PO\_DIRECTORY FILENAME OUTPUT\_FILE*

## DESCRIPTION

Merge translated strings in po files in *PO\_DIRECTORY* with the original application file *FILENAME*, and output the file *OUTPUT\_FILE* containing both original and localized strings.

If *FILENAME* is an XML file, *OUTPUT\_FILE* will contain repeated xml nodes, where each node contains one of the localized strings with "xml:lang" attribute.

## OPTIONS

### Mode of operation

- **-b**

  - **--ba-style**

  Merge files in bonobo-activation style, which is used for bonobo servers.

- **-d**

  - **--desktop-style**

  Merge files in desktop style, which is similar to the Windows .ini file format.

- **-k**

  - **--keys-style**

  Merge files in keys style, which is used for metadata.

- **-o**

  - **--oaf-style**

  (OBSOLETE) Same as **-b**/**--ba-style**.

- **-r**

  - **--rfc822deb-style**

  Merge files in RFC 822 style, which is usually used in Debian configuration files.

- **--quoted-style**

  Merge files in quoted string style, which just translates any strings within "".

- **-x**

  - **--xml-style**

  Merge files in standard XML style, both as attributes and as raw pcdata.

### Other options

- **-u**

  - **--utf8**

  Convert all strings to UTF-8 before merging.

- **-p**

  - **--pass-through**

  Use strings as is in .po files without conversion (STRONGLY unrecommended with -x).

- **-c**

  - **--cache**

  (TBD)

- **-q**

  - **--quiet**

  Be quiet while running.

- **-v**

  - **--version**

  Show version information.

- **-h**

  - **--help**

  Show usage and basic help information.

## FILES

- **po/.intltool-merge-cache**

  Cache file generated by **intltool-merge**, that contains all strings in all po files separated by \\01.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to http://bugs.launchpad.net/intltool

## AUTHOR

Darin Adler \<darin@bentspoon.com\>\
 Kenneth Christiansen \<kenneth@gnu.org\>\
 Maciej Stachowiak \<mjs@eazel.com\>

## SEE ALSO

[**iconv**(1)](/iconv/1.md), [**intltoolize**(8)](/intltoolize/8.md), [**intltool-prepare**(8)](/intltool-prepare/8.md), [**intltool-extract**(8)](/intltool-extract/8.md), [**intltool-update**(8)](/intltool-update/8.md)