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(gettext.info)gettextize Invocation


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Invoking the `gettextize' Program
=================================

   Some files are consistently and identically needed in every package
internationalized through GNU `gettext'.  As a matter of convenience,
the `gettextize' program puts all these files right in your package.
This program has the following synopsis:

     gettextize [ OPTION... ] [ DIRECTORY ]

and accepts the following options:

`-c'
`--copy'
     Copy the needed files instead of making symbolic links.  Using
     links would allow the package to always use the latest `gettext'
     code available on the system, but it might disturb some mechanism
     the maintainer is used to apply to the sources.  Because running
     `gettextize' is easy there shouldn't be problems with using copies.

`-f'
`--force'
     Force replacement of files which already exist.

`-h'
`--help'
     Display this help and exit.

`--version'
     Output version information and exit.

   If DIRECTORY is given, this is the top level directory of a package
to prepare for using GNU `gettext'.  If not given, it is assumed that
the current directory is the top level directory of such a package.

   The program `gettextize' provides the following files.  However, no
existing file will be replaced unless the option `--force' (`-f') is
specified.

  1. The `ABOUT-NLS' file is copied in the main directory of your
     package, the one being at the top level.  This file gives the main
     indications about how to install and use the Native Language
     Support features of your program.  You might elect to use a more
     recent copy of this `ABOUT-NLS' file than the one provided through
     `gettextize', if you have one handy.  You may also fetch a more
     recent copy of file `ABOUT-NLS' from Translation Project sites,
     and from most GNU archive sites.

  2. A `po/' directory is created for eventually holding all
     translation files, but initially only containing the file
     `po/Makefile.in.in' from the GNU `gettext' distribution.  (beware
     the double `.in' in the file name). If the `po/' directory already
     exists, it will be preserved along with the files it contains, and
     only `Makefile.in.in' will be overwritten.

  3. A `intl/' directory is created and filled with most of the files
     originally in the `intl/' directory of the GNU `gettext'
     distribution.  Also, if option `--force' (`-f') is given, the
     `intl/' directory is emptied first.


   If your site support symbolic links, `gettextize' will not actually
copy the files into your package, but establish symbolic links instead.
This avoids duplicating the disk space needed in all packages.  Merely
using the `-h' option while creating the `tar' archive of your
distribution will resolve each link by an actual copy in the
distribution archive.  So, to insist, you really should use `-h' option
with `tar' within your `dist' goal of your main `Makefile.in'.

   It is interesting to understand that most new files for supporting
GNU `gettext' facilities in one package go in `intl/' and `po/'
subdirectories.  One distinction between these two directories is that
`intl/' is meant to be completely identical in all packages using GNU
`gettext', while all newly created files, which have to be different,
go into `po/'.  There is a common `Makefile.in.in' in `po/', because
the `po/' directory needs its own `Makefile', and it has been designed
so it can be identical in all packages.


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