---
name: "lrelease-qt4"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "qt4-linguist-tools"
version: "4:4.8.7+dfsg-18+deb10u1"
release: "Debian 10 (Buster)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/lrelease-qt4"
---

# lrelease-qt4(1)

generate Qt message files from Qt Linguist translation files

## NAME

lrelease - generate Qt message files from Qt Linguist translation files

## SYNOPSIS

**lrelease** \[ *options* \] *project-file*\
 **lrelease** \[ *options* \] *ts-files* \[ -qm *qm-file* \]

## DESCRIPTION

This page documents the **Qt Linguist Release** tool for the Qt GUI toolkit. **Lrelease** reads a qmake/tmake project file (.pro file) and converts the translation files (.ts files) specified in it into Qt message files (.qm files) used by the application to translate.

The .qm file format is a compact binary format that provides extremely fast lookups for translations and that is used by Qt.

## OPTIONS

- *-help*

  Display the usage and exit.

- *-compress*

  Compress the .qm files.

- *-nounfinished*

  Do not include unfinished translations.

- *-removeidentical*

  If the translated text is the same as the source text, do not include the message.

- *-silent*

  Do not explain what is being done.

- *-version*

  Display the version of **lrelease** and exit.

## USAGE

Here is an example .pro file that can be given to **lrelease:**

```
HEADERS         = funnydialog.h \
                  wackywidget.h
SOURCES         = funnydialog.cpp \
                  main.cpp \
                  wackywidget.cpp
FORMS           = fancybox.ui
TRANSLATIONS    = gnomovision_dk.ts \
                  gnomovision_fi.ts \
                  gnomovision_no.ts \
                  gnomovision_se.ts
```

When running **lrelease** on this project file, the Qt message files gnomovision\_dk.qm, gnomovision\_fi.qm, gnomovision\_no.qm and gnomovision\_se.qm will be generated from gnomovision\_dk.ts, gnomovision\_fi.ts, gnomovision\_no.ts and gnomovision\_se.ts, respectively.

**Lrelease** can also be invoked with a list of .ts files to convert:

```
lrelease gnomovision_*.ts
```

## SEE ALSO

[**lupdate**(1)](/lupdate/1.md) and **http://doc.trolltech.com/i18n.html**