National Language Support (NLS) provides several commands and files for system internationalization.
NLS provides a base for internationalization in which data may be changed from one code set to another. The following command can be used for this conversion:
| iconv | Converts the encoding of characters from one code set encoding scheme to another. |
For more information about the conversion process, see "Converters Overview for System Management" .
The Input Method is a set of subroutines that translate key strokes into character strings in the code set specified by a locale. The Input Method subroutines include logic for locale-specific input processing and keyboard controls (Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Lock, Alt Graphic). The following command allows for the customizing of input method mapping for the use of input method subroutines:
| keycomp | Compiles a keyboard mapping file into an input method keymap file. |
For more information about these methods, see the Input Methods overview in AIX Version 4.3 General Programming Concepts: Writing and Debugging Programs.
NLS provides a database containing locale-specific rules for formatting data and an interface to obtain these rules.
The following commands are provided for the creation and display of locale information:
| locale | Writes information about the current locale or all public locales. |
| localedef | Converts locale definition source files and character set description (charmap) source files to produce a locale database. |
The following files are provided for the specification of rules for formatting locale-specific data:
| character set description (charmap) | Defines character symbols as character encodings. | |
| locale definition | Contains one or more categories that describe a locale. The following categories are supported: | |
| LC_COLLATE | Defines character or string collation information. | |
| LC_CTYPE | Defines character classification, case conversion, and other character attributes. | |
| LC_MESSAGES | Defines the format for affirmative and negative responses. | |
| LC_MONETARY | Defines rules and symbols for formatting monetary numeric information. | |
| LC_NUMERIC | Defines a list of rules and symbols for formatting nonmonetary numeric information. | |
| LC_TIME | Defines a list of rules and symbols for formatting time and date information. | |
For more information about localization, see "Locale Overview for System Management" .
The Message Facility consists of standard defined (X/Open) subroutines, commands, and value-added extensions to support externalized message catalogs. These catalogs are used by an application to retrieve and display messages, as needed. The following Message Facility commands create message catalogs and display their contents:
| dspcat | Displays all or part of a message catalog. | |
| dspmsg | Displays a selected message from a message catalog. | |
| gencat | Creates and modifies a message catalog. | |
| mkcatdefs | Preprocesses a message source file for input to the gencat command. | |
| runcat | Pipes output from the mkcatdefs command to the gencat command. | |
For more information about the Message Facility, see "Message Facility Overview for System Management" .
For specific information about locale categories and their keywords, see the LC_COLLATE category, LC_CTYPE category, LC_MESSAGES category, LC_MONETARY category, LC_NUMERIC category, and LC_TIME category for the locale definition source file format in AIX Version 4.3 Files Reference.
For information about programming in an international environment, see National Language Support Overview for Programming in AIX Version 4.3 General Programming Concepts: Writing and Debugging Programs.
For more information about code sets, see Code Set Overview in AIX Version 4.3 Kernel Extensions and Device Support Programming Concepts.