---
name: "msggrep"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "gettext"
version: "1.0-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/msggrep"
---

# msggrep(1)

pattern matching on message catalog

## NAME

msggrep - pattern matching on message catalog

## SYNOPSIS

**msggrep** \[*OPTION*\] \[*INPUTFILE*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Extracts all messages of a translation catalog that match a given pattern or belong to some given source files.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

### Input file location:

- INPUTFILE

  input PO file

- **-D**, **--directory**=*DIRECTORY*

  add DIRECTORY to list for input files search

If no input file is given or if it is -, standard input is read.

### Output file location:

- **-o**, **--output-file**=*FILE*

  write output to specified file

The results are written to standard output if no output file is specified or if it is -.

### Message selection:

-

  \[-N SOURCEFILE\]... \[-M DOMAINNAME\]... \[-J MSGCTXT-PATTERN\] \[-K MSGID-PATTERN\] \[-T MSGSTR-PATTERN\] \[-C COMMENT-PATTERN\] \[-X EXTRACTED-COMMENT-PATTERN\] \[-W WORKFLOW-FLAG\] \[-S STICKY-FLAG\]

A message is selected if it comes from one of the specified source files, or if it comes from one of the specified domains, or if **-J** is given and its context (msgctxt) matches MSGCTXT-PATTERN, or if **-K** is given and its key (msgid or msgid\_plural) matches MSGID-PATTERN, or if **-T** is given and its translation (msgstr) matches MSGSTR-PATTERN, or if **-C** is given and the translator's comment matches COMMENT-PATTERN, or if **-X** is given and the extracted comment matches EXTRACTED-COMMENT-PATTERN, or if **-W** is given and its flags contain WORKFLOW-FLAG, or if **-S** is given and its flags contain STICKY-FLAG.

When more than one selection criterion is specified, the set of selected messages is the union of the selected messages of each criterion.

MSGCTXT-PATTERN or MSGID-PATTERN or MSGSTR-PATTERN or COMMENT-PATTERN or EXTRACTED-COMMENT-PATTERN syntax:

-

  \[-E \| **-F\]** \[-e PATTERN \| **-f** FILE\]...

PATTERNs are basic regular expressions by default, or extended regular expressions if **-E** is given, or fixed strings if **-F** is given.

- **-N**, **--location**=*SOURCEFILE*

  select messages extracted from SOURCEFILE

- **-M**, **--domain**=*DOMAINNAME*

  select messages belonging to domain DOMAINNAME

- **-J**, **--msgctxt**

  start of patterns for the msgctxt

- **-K**, **--msgid**

  start of patterns for the msgid

- **-T**, **--msgstr**

  start of patterns for the msgstr

- **-C**, **--comment**

  start of patterns for the translator's comment

- **-X**, **--extracted-comment**

  start of patterns for the extracted comment

- **-E**, **--extended-regexp**

  PATTERN is an extended regular expression

- **-F**, **--fixed-strings**

  PATTERN is a set of newline-separated strings

- **-e**, **--regexp**=*PATTERN*

  use PATTERN as a regular expression

- **-f**, **--file**=*FILE*

  obtain PATTERN from FILE

- **-i**, **--ignore-case**

  ignore case distinctions

- **-W**, **--workflow-flag**=*FLAG*

  select messages with FLAG

- **-S**, **--sticky-flag**=*FLAG*

  select messages with FLAG

- **-v**, **--invert-match**

  output only the messages that do not match any selection criterion

### Input file syntax:

- **-P**, **--properties-input**

  input file is in Java .properties syntax

- **--stringtable-input**

  input file is in NeXTstep/GNUstep .strings syntax

### Output details:

- **--color**

  use colors and other text attributes always

- **--color**=*WHEN*

  use colors and other text attributes if WHEN. WHEN may be 'always', 'never', 'auto', or 'html'.

- **--style**=*STYLEFILE*

  specify CSS style rule file for **--color**

- **--no-escape**

  do not use C escapes in output (default)

- **--escape**

  use C escapes in output, no extended chars

- **--force-po**

  write PO file even if empty

- **--indent**

  indented output style

- **--no-location**

  suppress '#: filename:line' lines

- **-n**, **--add-location**

  preserve '#: filename:line' lines (default)

- **--strict**

  strict Uniforum output style

- **-p**, **--properties-output**

  write out a Java .properties file

- **--stringtable-output**

  write out a NeXTstep/GNUstep .strings file

- **-w**, **--width**=*NUMBER*

  set output page width

- **--no-wrap**

  do not break long message lines, longer than the output page width, into several lines

- **--sort-output**

  generate sorted output

- **--sort-by-file**

  sort output by file location

### Informative output:

- **-h**, **--help**

  display this help and exit

- **-V**, **--version**

  output version information and exit

## AUTHOR

Written by Bruno Haible.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs in the bug tracker at \<https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gettext\> or by email to \<bug-gettext@gnu.org\>.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2001-2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later \<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO

The full documentation for **msggrep** is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the **info** and **msggrep** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

-

  **info msggrep**

should give you access to the complete manual.