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

@cindex create new PO file
@cindex initialize new PO file
The @code{msginit} program creates a new PO file, initializing the meta
information with values from the user's environment.

@subsection Input file location

@table @samp
@item -i @var{inputfile}
@itemx --input=@var{inputfile}
@opindex -i@r{, @code{msginit} option}
@opindex --input@r{, @code{msginit} option}
Input POT file.

@end table

If no @var{inputfile} is given, the current directory is searched for the
POT file.  If it 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{msginit} option}
@opindex --output-file@r{, @code{msginit} option}
Write output to specified PO file.

@end table

If no output file is given, it depends on the @samp{--locale} option or the
user's locale setting.  If it is @samp{-}, the results are written to
standard output.

@subsection Input file syntax

@table @samp
@item -P
@itemx --properties-input
@opindex -P@r{, @code{msginit} option}
@opindex --properties-input@r{, @code{msginit} 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{msginit} 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

@table @samp
@item -l @var{ll_CC}
@itemx --locale=@var{ll_CC}
@opindex -l@r{, @code{msginit} option}
@opindex --locale@r{, @code{msginit} option}
Set target locale.  @var{ll} should be a language code, and @var{CC} should
be a country code.  The command @samp{locale -a} can be used to output a list
of all installed locales.  The default is the user's locale setting.

@item --no-translator
@opindex --no-translator@r{, @code{msginit} option}
Declares that the PO file will not have a human translator and is instead
automatically generated.

@item --color
@itemx --color=@var{when}
@opindex --color@r{, @code{msginit} option}
Specify whether or when to use colors and other text attributes.
See @ref{The --color option} for details.

@item --style=@var{style_file}
@opindex --style@r{, @code{msginit} option}
Specify the CSS style rule file to use for @code{--color}.
See @ref{The --style option} for details.

@item -p
@itemx --properties-output
@opindex -p@r{, @code{msginit} option}
@opindex --properties-output@r{, @code{msginit} 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{msginit} 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{msginit} option}
@opindex --width@r{, @code{msginit} 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{msginit} 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.

@end table

@subsection Informative output

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

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

@end table
