National Language Support (NLS) provides several commands and files for system internationalization.
NLS provides a base for internationalization in which data can 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.
An Input Method is a set of subroutines that translate key strokes into
character strings in the code set specified by a locale. 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 Method Overview in AIX 5L Version 5.1 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:
| 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 Using the Message Facility.
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 5L Version 5.1 Files Reference.
For information about programming in an international environment, see National Language Support Overview for Programming in AIX 5L Version 5.1 General Programming Concepts: Writing and Debugging Programs.
For more information about code sets, see Code Set Overview in AIX 5L Version 5.1 Kernel Extensions and Device Support Programming Concepts.