--- name: "xgettext" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "gettext" version: "1.0-2" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/xgettext" --- # xgettext(1) extract gettext strings from source ## NAME xgettext - extract gettext strings from source ## SYNOPSIS **xgettext** \[*OPTION*\] \[*INPUTFILE*\]... ## DESCRIPTION Extract translatable strings from given input files. Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too. Similarly for optional arguments. ### Input file location: - INPUTFILE ... input files - **-f**, **--files-from**=*FILE* get list of input files from FILE - **-D**, **--directory**=*DIRECTORY* add DIRECTORY to list for input files search If input file is -, standard input is read. ### Output file location: - **-d**, **--default-domain**=*NAME* use NAME.po for output (instead of messages.po) - **-o**, **--output**=*FILE* write output to specified file - **-p**, **--output-dir**=*DIR* output files will be placed in directory DIR If output file is -, output is written to standard output. ### Choice of input file language: - **-L**, **--language**=*NAME* recognise the specified language (C, C++, ObjectiveC, PO, Python, Java, JavaProperties, C#, JavaScript, TypeScript, TSX, Scheme, Guile, Lisp, EmacsLisp, librep, Rust, Go, Ruby, Shell, awk, Lua, Modula-2, D, OCaml, Smalltalk, Vala, Tcl, Perl, PHP, GCC-source, YCP, NXStringTable, RST, RSJ, Glade, GSettings, Desktop) - **-C**, **--c**++ shorthand for **--language**=*C*++ By default the language is guessed depending on the input file name extension. ### Input file interpretation: - **--from-code**=*NAME* encoding of input files (except for Python, Tcl, Glade) By default the input files are assumed to be in ASCII. ### Operation mode: - **-j**, **--join-existing** join messages with existing file - **-x**, **--exclude-file**=*FILE*.po entries from FILE.po are not extracted - **-cTAG**, **--add-comments**=*TAG* place comment blocks starting with TAG and preceding keyword lines in output file - **-c**, **--add-comments** place all comment blocks preceding keyword lines in output file - **--check**=*NAME* perform syntax check on messages (ellipsis-unicode, space-ellipsis, - quote-unicode, bullet-unicode) - **--no-check**=*NAME* don't perform syntax check on messages (url, email) - **--sentence-end**=*TYPE* type describing the end of sentence (single-space, which is the default, - or double-space) ### Language specific options: - **-a**, **--extract-all** extract all strings (only languages C, C++, ObjectiveC, Python, Java, C#, JavaScript, TypeScript, TSX, Scheme, Guile, Lisp, EmacsLisp, librep, Rust, Go, Shell, awk, Lua, Modula-2, D, OCaml, Vala, Tcl, Perl, PHP, GCC-source, Glade, GSettings) - **-kWORD**, **--keyword**=*WORD* look for WORD as an additional keyword - **-k**, **--keyword** do not to use default keywords (only languages C, C++, ObjectiveC, Python, Java, C#, JavaScript, TypeScript, TSX, Scheme, Guile, Lisp, EmacsLisp, librep, Rust, Go, Shell, awk, Lua, Modula-2, D, OCaml, Vala, Tcl, Perl, PHP, GCC-source, Glade, GSettings, Desktop) - **--flag**=*WORD*:ARG:FLAG additional flag for strings inside the argument number ARG of keyword WORD - (only languages C, C++, ObjectiveC, Python, Java, C#, JavaScript, TypeScript, TSX, Scheme, Guile, Lisp, EmacsLisp, librep, Rust, Go, Shell, awk, Lua, Modula-2, D, OCaml, Vala, Tcl, Perl, PHP, GCC-source, YCP) - **--tag**=*WORD*:FORMAT defines the behaviour of tagged template literals with tag WORD - (only language JavaScript) - **-T**, **--trigraphs** understand ANSI C trigraphs for input (deprecated; only languages C, C++, ObjectiveC) - **--its**=*FILE* apply ITS rules from FILE (only XML based languages) - **--qt** recognize Qt format strings (only language C++) - **--kde** recognize KDE 4 format strings (only language C++) - **--boost** recognize Boost format strings (only language C++) - **--debug** more detailed formatstring recognition result ### 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** - **-e**, **--no-escape** do not use C escapes in output (default) - **-E**, **--escape** use C escapes in output, no extended chars - **--force-po** write PO file even if empty - **-i**, **--indent** write the .po file using indented style - **--no-location** do not write '#: filename:line' lines - **-n**, **--add-location** generate '#: filename:line' lines (default) - **--strict** write out strict Uniforum conforming .po file - **--properties-output** write out a Java .properties file - **--stringtable-output** write out a NeXTstep/GNUstep .strings file - **--itstool** write out itstool comments - **-w**, **--width**=*NUMBER* set output page width - **--no-wrap** do not break long message lines, longer than the output page width, into several lines - **-s**, **--sort-output** generate sorted output (deprecated) - **-F**, **--sort-by-file** sort output by file location - **--omit-header** don't write header with 'msgid ""' entry - **--no-git** don't use the git program to produce a reproducible 'POT-Creation-Date' field in the output. - **--copyright-holder**=*STRING* set copyright holder in output - **--foreign-user** omit FSF copyright in output for foreign user - **--package-name**=*PACKAGE* set package name in output - **--package-version**=*VERSION* set package version in output - **--msgid-bugs-address**=*EMAIL*@ADDRESS set report address for msgid bugs - **--generated**=*FILE* Declares that the given FILE is generated and therefore should not have an influence on the 'POT-Creation-Date' field in the output. - **--reference**=*FILE* Declares that the output depends on the contents of the given FILE. This has an influence on the 'POT-Creation-Date' field in the output. - **-m\[STRING\]**, **--msgstr-prefix**\[=*STRING*\] use STRING or "" as prefix for msgstr values - **-M\[STRING\]**, **--msgstr-suffix**\[=*STRING*\] use STRING or "" as suffix for msgstr values ### Informative output: - **-h**, **--help** display this help and exit - **-V**, **--version** output version information and exit - **-v**, **--verbose** increase verbosity level ## AUTHOR Written by Ulrich Drepper and Bruno Haible. ## REPORTING BUGS Report bugs in the bug tracker at \ or by email to \. ## COPYRIGHT Copyright © 1995-2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later \\ 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 **xgettext** is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the **info** and **xgettext** programs are properly installed at your site, the command - **info xgettext** should give you access to the complete manual.