@pindex msgen
@cindex @code{msgen} program, usage
@example
msgen [@var{option}] @var{inputfile}
@end example

@cindex generate translation catalog in English
The @code{msgen} program creates an English translation catalog.  The
input file is the last created English PO file, or a PO Template file
(generally created by xgettext).  Untranslated entries are assigned a
translation that is identical to the msgid.

Note: @samp{msginit --no-translator --locale=en} performs a very similar
task.  The main difference is that @code{msginit} cares specially about
the header entry, whereas @code{msgen} doesn't.

@subsection Input file location

@table @samp
@item @var{inputfile}
Input PO or POT file.

@item -D @var{directory}
@itemx --directory=@var{directory}
@opindex -D@r{, @code{msgen} option}
@opindex --directory@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Add @var{directory} to the list of directories.  Source files are
searched relative to this list of directories.  The resulting @file{.po}
file will be written relative to the current directory, though.

@end table

If @var{inputfile} is @samp{-}, standard input is read.

@subsection Output file location

@table @samp
@item -o @var{file}
@itemx --output-file=@var{file}
@opindex -o@r{, @code{msgen} option}
@opindex --output-file@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Write output to specified file.

@end table

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

@subsection Input file syntax

@table @samp
@item -P
@itemx --properties-input
@opindex -P@r{, @code{msgen} option}
@opindex --properties-input@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Assume the input file is a Java ResourceBundle in Java @code{.properties}
syntax, not in PO file syntax.

@item --stringtable-input
@opindex --stringtable-input@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Assume the input file is a NeXTstep/GNUstep localized resource file in
@code{.strings} syntax, not in PO file syntax.

@end table

@subsection Output details

@c --no-escape and --escape omitted on purpose.  They are not useful.

@table @samp
@item --force-po
@opindex --force-po@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Always write an output file even if it contains no message.

@item -i
@itemx --indent
@opindex -i@r{, @code{msgen} option}
@opindex --indent@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Write the .po file using indented style.

@item --no-location
@opindex --no-location@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Do not write @samp{#: @var{filename}:@var{line}} lines.

@item --add-location
@opindex --add-location@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Generate @samp{#: @var{filename}:@var{line}} lines (default).

@item --strict
@opindex --strict@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Write out a strict Uniforum conforming PO file.  Note that this
Uniforum format should be avoided because it doesn't support the
GNU extensions.

@item -p
@itemx --properties-output
@opindex -p@r{, @code{msgen} option}
@opindex --properties-output@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Write out a Java ResourceBundle in Java @code{.properties} syntax.  Note
that this file format doesn't support plural forms and silently drops
obsolete messages.

@item --stringtable-output
@opindex --stringtable-output@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Write out a NeXTstep/GNUstep localized resource file in @code{.strings} syntax.
Note that this file format doesn't support plural forms.

@item -w @var{number}
@itemx --width=@var{number}
@opindex -w@r{, @code{msgen} option}
@opindex --width@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Set the output page width.  Long strings in the output files will be
split across multiple lines in order to ensure that each line's width
(= number of screen columns) is less or equal to the given @var{number}.

@item --no-wrap
@opindex --no-wrap@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Do not break long message lines.  Message lines whose width exceeds the
output page width will not be split into several lines.  Only file reference
lines which are wider than the output page width will be split.

@item -s
@itemx --sort-output
@opindex -s@r{, @code{msgen} option}
@opindex --sort-output@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Generate sorted output.  Note that using this option makes it much harder
for the translator to understand each message's context.

@item -F
@itemx --sort-by-file
@opindex -F@r{, @code{msgen} option}
@opindex --sort-by-file@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Sort output by file location.

@end table

@subsection Informative output

@table @samp
@item -h
@itemx --help
@opindex -h@r{, @code{msgen} option}
@opindex --help@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Display this help and exit.

@item -V
@itemx --version
@opindex -V@r{, @code{msgen} option}
@opindex --version@r{, @code{msgen} option}
Output version information and exit.

@end table