Creating (GNU gettext utilities)

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6 Creating or preparing for translating a PO file ¶

When starting a new translation, the translator creates a file called LANG.po, as a copy of the package.pot template file with modifications in the initial comments (at the beginning of the file) and in the header entry (the first entry, near the beginning of the file).

Before continuing an existing translation, after a new release of the package package was made, the translator updates the file called LANG.po, with respect to the new package.pot template file, and adds her name in the Last-Translator field of the header entry.

The easiest way to do so, in either case, is by use of the ‘msginit’ program. For example:

$ cd PACKAGE-VERSION
$ cd po
$ msginit

The alternative way, without msginit, is as follows:

When starting a new translation, the translator does the copy and modifications by hand. She copies package.pot to LANG.po. Then she modifies the initial comments and the header entry of this file.
When continuing an existing translation, the translator invokes msgmerge --previous -o lang.new.po lang.po package.pot and mv lang.new.po lang.po.