Gettext MO (Machine Object) file - Revision history

Lucidiot: Add Kaitai Struct schema

2024-12-26T17:37:42Z

Add Kaitai Struct schema

Dan Tobias at 00:19, 18 March 2021

2021-03-18T00:19:55Z

Ross-spencer: Add gettext project page

2021-03-17T18:49:01Z

Add gettext project page

Ross-spencer: Add details about Gettext MO files

2021-03-17T18:46:12Z

Add details about Gettext MO files

New page

From the manpage the gettext program translates a natural language message into the user's language, by looking up the translation in a message catalog.

A Gettext MO file is one of two Gettext file types conveying translations in source code. A Gettext MO file is the second of two files. A first file, a [[Gettext PO (Portable Object) file]], contains strings extracted from the source code for a software application. MO files are generated from PO files. An MO file is a compiled/binary representation of the same data for use by the calling application.

== Compiling MO files from PO files ==

Given a PO file containing translations, it can be converted to an MO file as follows once <code>gettext</code> is installed locally, e.g. <code>yum install gettext</code>.

The command might look as follows:

* <code>msgfmt messages.po -o messages.mo</code>

== File structure ==

An [https://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/manual/html_node/MO-Files.html excerpt from the documentation] describes the structure of MO files as follows:

<nowiki>
byte
+------------------------------------------+
0 | magic number = 0x950412de |
| |
4 | file format revision = 0 |
| |
8 | number of strings | == N
| |
12 | offset of table with original strings | == O
| |
16 | offset of table with translation strings | == T
| |
20 | size of hashing table | == S
| |
24 | offset of hashing table | == H
| |
. .
. (possibly more entries later) .
. .
| |
O | length & offset 0th string ----------------.
O + 8 | length & offset 1st string ------------------.
... ... | |
O + ((N-1)*8)| length & offset (N-1)th string | | |
| | | |
T | length & offset 0th translation ---------------.
T + 8 | length & offset 1st translation -----------------.
... ... | | | |
T + ((N-1)*8)| length & offset (N-1)th translation | | | | |
| | | | | |
H | start hash table | | | | |
... ... | | | |
H + S * 4 | end hash table | | | | |
| | | | | |
| NUL terminated 0th string <----------------' | | |
| | | | |
| NUL terminated 1st string <------------------' | |
| | | |
... ... | |
| | | |
| NUL terminated 0th translation <---------------' |
| | |
| NUL terminated 1st translation <-----------------'
| |
... ...
| |
+------------------------------------------+
</nowiki>

MO files have the magic number: <code>0x950412de</code>

== Example MO files ==

* [https://github.com/transifex/django-messages/blob/436618b9afe9c8f05a131f79564ab56f09b86a3c/django_messages/locale/ar/LC_MESSAGES/django.mo Arabic MO file for the transifex project]
* [https://github.com/transifex/django-messages/blob/436618b9afe9c8f05a131f79564ab56f09b86a3c/django_messages/locale/de/LC_MESSAGES/django.mo German MO file for the transifex project]

== References ==

* [https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/gettext.1.html Gettext manpage]
* [https://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/manual/html_node/Files.html Gettext files for conveying translations]
* [https://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/manual/html_node/MO-Files.html Gettext MO files]

== Additional links ==

* [https://www.labri.fr/perso/fleury/posts/programming/a-quick-gettext-tutorial.html A Quick Gettext Tutorial]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 |subcat=Resources
 |extensions={{ext|mo}}
 }}
 From the manpage the gettext program translates a natural language message into the user's language, by looking up the translation in a message catalog.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:19, 18 March 2021
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	{{FormatInfo
		+	\|formattype=electronic
		+	\|subcat=Resources
		+	\|extensions={{ext\|mo}}
		+	}}
	From the manpage the gettext program translates a natural language message into the user's language, by looking up the translation in a message catalog.		From the manpage the gettext program translates a natural language message into the user's language, by looking up the translation in a message catalog.

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:49, 17 March 2021
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	== Additional links ==		== Additional links ==

		+	* [https://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/ Gettext project page]
	* [https://www.labri.fr/perso/fleury/posts/programming/a-quick-gettext-tutorial.html A Quick Gettext Tutorial]		* [https://www.labri.fr/perso/fleury/posts/programming/a-quick-gettext-tutorial.html A Quick Gettext Tutorial]