8.1.6 Input file interpretation

`-c'

`--check'

Perform all the checks implied by --check-format, --check-header, --check-domain.

`--check-format'

Check language dependent format strings.

If the string represents a format string used in a printf-like function both strings should have the same number of `%' format specifiers, with matching types. If the flag c-format or possible-c-format appears in the special comment #, for this entry a check is performed. For example, the check will diagnose using `%.*s' against `%s', or `%d' against `%s', or `%d' against `%x'. It can even handle positional parameters.

Normally the xgettext program automatically decides whether a string is a format string or not. This algorithm is not perfect, though. It might regard a string as a format string though it is not used in a printf-like function and so msgfmt might report errors where there are none.

To solve this problem the programmer can dictate the decision to the xgettext program (see section 3.5 Special Comments preceding Keywords). The translator should not consider removing the flag from the #, line. This "fix" would be reversed again as soon as msgmerge is called the next time.

`--check-header'

Verify presence and contents of the header entry. See section 5.2 Filling in the Header Entry, for a description of the various fields in the header entry.

`--check-domain'

Check for conflicts between domain directives and the --output-file option

`-C'

`--check-compatibility'

Check that GNU msgfmt behaves like X/Open msgfmt. This will give an error when attempting to use the GNU extensions.

`--check-accelerators[=char]'

Check presence of keyboard accelerators for menu items. This is based on the convention used in some GUIs that a keyboard accelerator in a menu item string is designated by an immediately preceding `&' character. Sometimes a keyboard accelerator is also called "keyboard mnemonic". This check verifies that if the untranslated string has exactly one `&' character, the translated string has exactly one `&' as well. If this option is given with a char argument, this char should be a non-alphanumeric character and is used as keyboard acceleator mark instead of `&'.

`-f'

`--use-fuzzy'

Use fuzzy entries in output. Note that using this option is usually wrong, because fuzzy messages are exactly those which have not been validated by a human translator.