Great: I finally found it as you said in in MSYS2: libintl.a (and libintl.h too)

But that doesn't seem sufficient: when I compile and link a simple program calling gettext(), I get a linking error :

Program:

#include "libintl.h"


int main() {
  gettext("abc");
}
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Compiling:

C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\Moi\test>gcc -o t
+est test.c
C:\Users\Moi\AppData\Local\Temp\ccCWWHXa.o:test.c:(.text+0x15): undefi
+ned reference to `libintl_gettext'
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status
[download]

I'm puzzled for now...

BTW, the module I want to get working is Locale::gettext which does exactly what I need under Linux and macOS.

I tried the Gido's pure Perl version of Locale::gettext_pp but his code doen't understand the windows pseudo-locale so it doesn't work.

PS: before, I hated Windows but I think now I abhor it! :-(

Your problem is the supplied library from Developer Files is in 32-bit format and your using 64-bit Strawberry Perl; and thus, 64-bit gcc. Your test program above compiles fine for me with Strawberry 5.18 32-bit:

gcc .\test.c -I.\include -L.\lib -lintl -o test.exe
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Try a 32-bit Perl (and thus 32-bit gcc) or try the following.

Using your existing 64-bit Strawberry (and thus 64-bit gcc), from a cmd.exe prompt in the directory where you unzip both the Developer files (from above) link and the Binaries

pexports .\bin\libintl3.dll > intl.def
dlltool --as-flags=--64 -m i386:x86-64 -k --output-lib libintl.a --inp
+ut-def intl.def
gcc .\test.c -I .\include -L . -lintl -o test.exe
[download]

The above worked for me - creating my own 64-bit libintl.a from the provided libintl3.dll and then compiling test.exe linking that created libintl.a

I confirm: it works for me too: many, many thanks!

Sounds logical, thanks. I’ll try that asap. Curiously, the libintl. a I copied was from MSY2 mingwing 64 (and it neither works on it!). So they it seems they do have a bug in their 64bit distribution too...

Many thanks!

OK, now I can compile Locale::gettext correctly. But unfortunatly, the gettext.xs.dll it builds up won't load.

I used the Strawberry portable Perl 64 with the standard build method (as cpan fails) by downloading the module and doing perl Makefile.PL; gmake to generate it. And it fails on gmake test.

If I ldd gettext.xs.dll, I find it has some unknown unresolved references:

ldd.exe gettext.xs.dll
        ntdll.dll => /c/Windows/SYSTEM32/ntdll.dll (0x7ffb4d030000)
        KERNEL32.DLL => /c/Windows/System32/KERNEL32.DLL (0x7ffb4ac300
+00)
        KERNELBASE.dll => /c/Windows/System32/KERNELBASE.dll (0x7ffb49
+e50000)
        ??? => ??? (0x67a00000)
        ??? => ??? (0x7ffb4a490000)
[download]

but "???" doesn't really help to identify the problem. I suspect it still has something to do with 32bit vs 64bit but don't really know what to do next. Searching... :-)

I think the two unknown references should have been:

   apphelp.dll => /c/Windows/SYSTEM32/apphelp.dll (0x7ffb47210000)
   msvcrt.dll => /c/Windows/System32/msvcrt.dll (0x7ffb4a490000)
[download]

Here is the log of gmake in case it could help:

"C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\perl\bin\perl.ex
+e" -MExtUtils::Command::MM -e cp_nonempty -- gettext.bs blib\arch\aut
+o\Locale\gettext\gettext.bs 644^M
"C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\perl\bin\perl.ex
+e" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\perl\lib\Ext
+Utils/xsubpp"  -typemap C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-p
+ortable\perl\lib\ExtUtils\typemap  gettext.xs > gettext.xsc^M
Please specify prototyping behavior for gettext.xs (see perlxs manual)
+^M
"C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\perl\bin\perl.ex
+e" -MExtUtils::Command -e mv -- gettext.xsc gettext.c^M
gcc -c   -s -O2 -DWIN32 -DWIN64 -DCONSERVATIVE -D__USE_MINGW_ANSI_STDI
+O -DPERL_TEXTMODE_SCRIPTS -DPERL_IMPLICIT_CONTEXT -DPERL_IMPLICIT_SYS
+ -DUSE_PERLIO -fwrapv -fno-strict-aliasing -mms-bitfields -s -O2   -D
+VERSION=\"1.07\" -DXS_VERSION=\"1.07\"  "-IC:\Users\Moi\strawberry-pe
+rl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\perl\lib\CORE"   gettext.c^M
"C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\perl\bin\perl.ex
+e" -MExtUtils::Mksymlists \^M
     -e "Mksymlists('NAME'=>\"Locale::gettext\", 'DLBASE' => 'gettext'
+, 'DL_FUNCS' => {  }, 'FUNCLIST' => [], 'IMPORTS' => {  }, 'DL_VARS' 
+=> []);"^M
g++.exe gettext.def -o blib\arch\auto\Locale\gettext\gettext.xs.dll -m
+dll -s -L"C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\perl\l
+ib\CORE" -L"C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\li
+b" gettext.o   "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\
+perl\lib\CORE\libperl528.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64
+bit-portable\c\lib\libintl.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-
+64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libmoldname.a" "C:\Users\Moi\
+strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libk
+ernel32.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x8
+6_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libuser32.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.
+1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libgdi32.a" "C:\Users\Moi
+\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\lib
+winspool.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x
+86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libcomdlg32.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.
+28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libadvapi32.a" "C:\Use
+rs\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\l
+ib\libshell32.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portabl
+e\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libole32.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-
+5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\liboleaut32.a" "C:\U
+sers\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32
+\lib\libnetapi32.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-port
+able\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libuuid.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-per
+l-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libws2_32.a" "C:\U
+sers\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32
+\lib\libmpr.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\
+c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libwinmm.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.
+28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libversion.a" "C:\User
+s\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\li
+b\libodbc32.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\
+c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libodbccp32.a" "C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl
+-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\c\x86_64-w64-mingw32\lib\libcomctl32.a" -Wl,
+--enable-auto-image-base^M
"C:\Users\Moi\strawberry-perl-5.28.1.1-64bit-portable\perl\bin\perl.ex
+e" -MExtUtils::Command -e chmod -- 755 blib\arch\auto\Locale\gettext\
+gettext.xs.dll^
[download]

Try gcc -o test test.c -lintl assuming libintl.* is in the libraries search path, alternatively tell gcc where to find it using -L blahblahlocation

I even tried:

gcc -o test -lintl -I. test.c
[download]

with the same result.

But when I try to link with the libintl.a itself, I get a very different result:

gcc -o test  test.c libintl.a
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0x4bf): undefined reference to `__errno
+'
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0xb7d): undefined reference to `__errno
+'
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0xcf6): undefined reference to `__errno
+'
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0xd25): undefined reference to `__errno
+'
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0xdc9): undefined reference to `stpcpy'
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0xede): undefined reference to `__errno
+'
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0x10b1): undefined reference to `__errn
+o'
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0x113a): undefined reference to `__errn
+o'
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0x1149): undefined reference to `getuid
+'
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0x1150): undefined reference to `geteui
+d'
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0x1315): undefined reference to `getgid
+'
libintl.a(dcigettext.o):(.text+0x131c): undefined reference to `getegi
+d'
libintl.a(localcharset.o):(.text+0xb): undefined reference to `nl_lang
+info'
libintl.a(localename.o):(.text+0x7): undefined reference to `uselocale
+'
libintl.a(localename.o):(.text+0x27): undefined reference to `uselocal
+e'
libintl.a(localename.o):(.text+0xca): undefined reference to `uselocal
+e'
libintl.a(setlocale.o):(.text+0x36b): undefined reference to `newlocal
+e'
libintl.a(setlocale.o):(.text+0x39b): undefined reference to `__errno'
libintl.a(setlocale.o):(.text+0x3a5): undefined reference to `freeloca
+le'
libintl.a(setlocale.o):(.text+0x3aa): undefined reference to `__errno'
libintl.a(setlocale.o):(.text+0x459): undefined reference to `newlocal
+e'
libintl.a(setlocale.o):(.text+0x55a): undefined reference to `newlocal
+e'
libintl.a(setlocale.o):(.text+0x346): undefined reference to `newlocal
+e'
libintl.a(loadmsgcat.o):(.text+0xb9): undefined reference to `mmap'
libintl.a(loadmsgcat.o):(.text+0x2a7): undefined reference to `__errno
+'
libintl.a(loadmsgcat.o):(.text+0x45f): undefined reference to `munmap'
libintl.a(loadmsgcat.o):(.text+0x9be): undefined reference to `munmap'
libintl.a(localealias.o):(.text+0x9f): undefined reference to `__fsetl
+ocking'
libintl.a(localealias.o):(.text+0xbe): undefined reference to `fgets_u
+nlocked'
libintl.a(localealias.o):(.text+0xe5): undefined reference to `__local
+e_ctype_ptr'
libintl.a(localealias.o):(.text+0x11a): undefined reference to `__loca
+le_ctype_ptr'
libintl.a(localealias.o):(.text+0x134): undefined reference to `__loca
+le_ctype_ptr'
libintl.a(localealias.o):(.text+0x147): undefined reference to `__loca
+le_ctype_ptr'
libintl.a(localealias.o):(.text+0x17c): undefined reference to `__loca
+le_ctype_ptr'
libintl.a(localealias.o):(.text+0x2be): undefined reference to `fgets_
+unlocked'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x12b): undefined reference to `stpcpy'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x322): undefined reference to `argz_nex
+t'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x40b): undefined reference to `stpcpy'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x424): undefined reference to `stpcpy'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x440): undefined reference to `stpcpy'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x460): undefined reference to `stpcpy'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x48d): undefined reference to `argz_str
+ingify'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x4aa): undefined reference to `argz_cou
+nt'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x55b): undefined reference to `__locale
+_ctype_ptr'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x56a): undefined reference to `__locale
+_ctype_ptr'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x5b5): undefined reference to `__locale
+_ctype_ptr'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x5d1): undefined reference to `__locale
+_ctype_ptr'
libintl.a(l10nflist.o):(.text+0x5e3): undefined reference to `__locale
+_ctype_ptr'
libintl.a(plural-exp.o):(.text+0x5a): more undefined references to `__
+locale_ctype_ptr' follow
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status
[download]

It seems another peace of code is missing (glibc maybe ? I'll have a look in MSY2 to see that)... But I still don't understand why the gcc -o test -lintl -I. test.c with libintl.a in the current directory doesn't work...

... and those undefined symbols should be defined by msvcrt ! And I neither can link with libintl.a on MSYS2.