# MSGATTRIB

NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
AUTHOR
REPORTING BUGS
COPYRIGHT
SEE ALSO

## NAME

msgattrib - attribute matching and manipulation on message catalog

## SYNOPSIS

msgattrib [OPTION] [INPUTFILE]

## DESCRIPTION

Filters the messages of a translation catalog according to their attributes, and manipulates the attributes.

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:
--translated

keep translated, remove untranslated messages

--untranslated

keep untranslated, remove translated messages

--no-fuzzy

remove ’fuzzy’ marked messages

--only-fuzzy

keep ’fuzzy’ marked messages

--no-obsolete

remove obsolete #~ messages

--only-obsolete

keep obsolete #~ messages

Attribute manipulation:
--set-fuzzy

set all messages ’fuzzy’

--clear-fuzzy

set all messages non-’fuzzy’

--set-obsolete

set all messages obsolete

--clear-obsolete

set all messages non-obsolete

--previous

when setting ’fuzzy’, keep previous msgids of translated messages.

--clear-previous

remove the "previous msgid" from all messages

--empty

when removing ’fuzzy’, also set msgstr empty

--only-file=FILE.po

manipulate only entries listed in FILE.po

--ignore-file=FILE.po

manipulate only entries not listed in FILE.po

--fuzzy

synonym for --only-fuzzy --clear-fuzzy

--obsolete

synonym for --only-obsolete --clear-obsolete

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

-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

-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

-s, --sort-output

generate sorted output

-F, --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 msgattrib is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and msgattrib programs are properly installed at your site, the command

info msgattrib

should give you access to the complete manual.