How to Convert Code Points to Messages

ITEM: RTA000078970

                                                                                
I'd like to know about how to convert the code points to its message            
strings.                                                                        
Now we need to convert the code points to its text strings by programs.         
Those code points can be seen as the output of "errmsg -w" command,             
which are devided into some categories, as "Error Description",                 
"Probable Cause", "User Cause", etc.                                            
                                                                                
From my point of view, those code points are supplied as message                
catalog like ususal AIX commands, and catalog files can be seen                 
as  "/usr/lib/nls/msg/$LANG/codepoint.cat" files.                               
                                                                                
But we cannot look into "codepoint.cat" files by "dspcat" command               
or "catopen()" and "catgets()" subroutines,                                     
though we can do other usual catalogs.                                         
  Trying "dspcat  /usr/lib/nls/msg/En_US/codepoint.cat"                         
  failes with the message                                                       
  "Unnable to open specified catalog."                                          
  Likewise, catgets() cannot retrieve the messages after successful             
  catopen().                                                                    
                                                                                
Q1. Can we retrieve messages from the "codepoint.cat" file                      
    by catopen() and catgets(), or any other subroutines?                       
                                                                                
Q2. If cannot, do you have idea to retrieve ceratain messages from              
    codepoints by user written programs?                                        
                                                                                
Our AIX is 3.2.5.1.                                                             
                                                                                
                                                                               
ANSWER                                                                          
   The /usr/lib/nls/msg/$LANG/codepoint.cat file is a binary file that          
   is used to store the error messages.  This catalog is not in Message         
   Catalog Services format; consequently, the "dspcat" command will not         
   work with this catalog.  As you have indicated, you can use                  
   "errmsg -w" command to read the error messages.                              
                                                                                
   I am not very clear on what exactly you would like to accomplish.            
   I will assume that you want to be able to read the error message             
   catalog from a program by using catopen() and catgets() functions.           
   If my assumption is correct, the following workaround may solve the          
   problem:                                                                     
                                                                                
   1. Pipe the output from "errmsg -w" command to a file, *.msg.  This          
      creates a temporary message source file.  For more details about         
      the exact format and all options possible in the creation of a            
      message source file, please refer to the InfoExplorer article             
      "Creating a message source file."  You can do a simple search             
      on "message source file."                                                 
                                                                                
   2. Convert the message source file to a message catalog with the             
      gencat command.  You can find "gencat" in the list of commands            
      in InfoExplorer.                                                          
                                                                                
   3. Now you are able to use catopen() and catgets() functions to              
      retrieve the catalog messages from any program.                           
                                                                                
S e a r c h - k e y w o r d s:                                                  
CODEPOINT.CAT                                                                   
                                                                               



WWQA: ITEM: RTA000078970 ITEM: RTA000078970

Dated: 01/1995 Category: ITSAI6000GE

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