MSGCAT(1) User Commands MSGCAT(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

msgcat - combines several message catalogs

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**msgcat** \[*OPTION*] \[*INPUTFILE*]...

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Concatenates and merges the specified PO files. Find messages which are common to two or more of the specified PO files. By using the **--more-than** option, greater commonality may be requested before messages are printed. Conversely, the **--less-than** option may be used to specify less commonality before messages are printed (i.e. **--less-than**=*2* will only print the unique messages). Translations, comments, extracted comments, and file positions will be cumulated, except that if **--use-first** is specified, they will be taken from the first PO file to define them.

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

## [Input file location:](#Input_file_location:)

[INPUTFILE ...](#INPUTFILE)

input files

[**-f**, **--files-from**=*FILE*](#f)

get list of input files from FILE

[**-D**, **--directory**=*DIRECTORY*](#D)

add DIRECTORY to list for input files search

If input file is -, standard input is read.

## [Output file location:](#Output_file_location:)

[**-o**, **--output-file**=*FILE*](#o)

write output to specified file

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

## [Message selection:](#Message_selection:)

-<, **--less-than**=*NUMBER*

print messages with less than this many definitions, defaults to infinite if not set

->, **--more-than**=*NUMBER*

print messages with more than this many definitions, defaults to 0 if not set

[**-u**, **--unique**](#u)

shorthand for **--less-than**=*2*, requests that only unique messages be printed

## [Input file syntax:](#Input_file_syntax:)

[**-P**, **--properties-input**](#P)

input files are in Java .properties syntax

[**--stringtable-input**](#stringtable)

input files are in NeXTstep/GNUstep .strings syntax

## [Output details:](#Output_details:)

[**-t**, **--to-code**=*NAME*](#t)

encoding for output

[**--use-first**](#use)

use first available translation for each message, don't merge several translations

[**--lang**=*CATALOGNAME*](#lang)

set 'Language' field in the header entry

[**--color**](#color)

use colors and other text attributes always

[**--color**=*WHEN*](#color~2)

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

[**--style**=*STYLEFILE*](#style)

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

[**-e**, **--no-escape**](#e)

do not use C escapes in output (default)

[**-E**, **--escape**](#E)

use C escapes in output, no extended chars

[**--force-po**](#force)

write PO file even if empty

[**-i**, **--indent**](#i)

write the .po file using indented style

[**--no-location**](#no)

do not write '#: filename:line' lines

[**-n**, **--add-location**](#n)

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

[**--strict**](#strict)

write out strict Uniforum conforming .po file

[**-p**, **--properties-output**](#p)

write out a Java .properties file

[**--stringtable-output**](#stringtable~2)

write out a NeXTstep/GNUstep .strings file

[**-w**, **--width**=*NUMBER*](#w)

set output page width

[**--no-wrap**](#no~2)

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

[**-s**, **--sort-output**](#s)

generate sorted output

[**-F**, **--sort-by-file**](#F)

sort output by file location

## [Informative output:](#Informative_output:)

[**-h**, **--help**](#h)

display this help and exit

[**-V**, **--version**](#V)

output version information and exit

# [AUTHOR](#AUTHOR)

Written by Bruno Haible.

# [REPORTING BUGS](#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)

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](#SEE_ALSO)

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

**info msgcat**

should give you access to the complete manual.

October 2026 GNU gettext-tools 1.0

---

Document: msgcat(1) from gettext 1.0-r8 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/gettext.git