OS Manuals

/usr/bin/msgcmp

GNU locale utilities

From gettext 1.0-r8 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running msgcmp --help (exit 0). permalink

Usage: /usr/bin/msgcmp [OPTION] def.po ref.pot

Compare two Uniforum style .po files to check that both contain the same
set of msgid strings.  The def.po file is an existing PO file with the
translations.  The ref.pot file is the last created PO file, or a PO Template
file (generally created by xgettext).  This is useful for checking that
you have translated each and every message in your program.  Where an exact
match cannot be found, fuzzy matching is used to produce better diagnostics.

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

Input file location:
  def.po                      translations
  ref.pot                     references to the sources
  -D, --directory=DIRECTORY   add DIRECTORY to list for input files search

Operation modifiers:
  -m, --multi-domain          apply ref.pot to each of the domains in def.po
  -N, --no-fuzzy-matching     do not use fuzzy matching
      --use-fuzzy             consider fuzzy entries
      --use-untranslated      consider untranslated entries

Input file syntax:
  -P, --properties-input      input files are in Java .properties syntax
      --stringtable-input     input files are in NeXTstep/GNUstep .strings
                              syntax

Informative output:
  -h, --help                  display this help and exit
  -V, --version               output version information and exit

Report bugs in the bug tracker at <https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gettext>
or by email to <bug-gettext@gnu.org>.
Options (9)
OptionDescriptionSource
-D, --directory DIRECTORYadd DIRECTORY to list for input files searchhelp + man
-m, --multi-domainapply ref.pot to each of the domains in def.pohelp + man
-N, --no-fuzzy-matchingdo not use fuzzy matchinghelp + man
--use-fuzzyconsider fuzzy entrieshelp + man
--use-untranslatedconsider untranslated entrieshelp + man
-P, --properties-inputinput files are in Java .properties syntaxhelp + man
--stringtable-inputinput files are in NeXTstep/GNUstep .strings syntaxhelp + man
-h, --helpdisplay this help and exithelp + man
-V, --versionoutput version information and exithelp + man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.