The following packages should be installed before GNU gettext is installed:

* GNU libiconv
  + Not needed on systems with
      - glibc 2.2 or newer, or
      - MacOS X 10.3 or newer, or
      - NetBSD 3.0 or newer.
    But highly recommended on all other systems.
    Needed for character set conversion of PO files from/to Unicode.
  + Homepage:
    http://www.gnu.org/software/libiconv/
  + Download:
    http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libiconv/
    ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libiconv/
  + If it is installed in a nonstandard directory, pass the option
    --with-libintl-prefix=DIR to 'configure'.

* GNU ncurses (preferred)
  or libtermcap (discouraged) or a curses library (legacy).
  + Highly recommended.
    Needed for the --color option of the 'msgcat' program.
  + Homepage:
    http://www.gnu.org/software/ncurses/
  + Download:
    http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/ncurses/
    ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/ncurses/
  + If it is installed in a nonstandard directory, pass the option
    --with-ncurses-prefix=DIR or --with-libtermcap-prefix to 'configure'.

* expat 1.95 or newer
  + Recommended.
    Needed for 'xgettext', so that it can parse Glade XML files.
  + Homepage:
    http://expat.sourceforge.net/
  + Download:
    http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=10127
  + If it is installed in a nonstandard directory, pass the option
    --with-libexpat-prefix to 'configure'.

* A Java runtime and compiler (e.g. GNU gcj or kaffe).
  + Recommended.
    Needed for building libintl.jar.  Also needed for 'msgfmt' and
    'msgunfmt', so that they can handle Java classes and properties files.
  + Homepage:
    http://gcc.gnu.org/java/
    http://www.kaffe.org/
  + Download:
    http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gcc/
    http://www.kaffe.org/ftp/pub/kaffe/v1.1.x-development/

* A C# runtime and compiler (e.g. pnet or mono).
  + Recommended
    Needed for building GNU.Gettext.dll. Also needed for 'msgfmt' and
    'msgunfmt', so that they can handle C# resources and assemblies.
  + Homepage:
    http://www.southern-storm.com.au/portable_net.html
  + Download:
    http://www.southern-storm.com.au/portable_net.html#download
    http://www.mono-project.com/Downloads
  + If more than one C# is installed, pass the option --enable-csharp=IMPL
    to 'configure', to disambiguate.

* libxml2
  + Optional.
    Needed for the --color option of the various programs.
    If not present, a subset of libxml2 (included in this package) will be
    compiled into libgettextlib.
  + Homepage:
    http://xmlsoft.org/
  + Download:
    ftp://xmlsoft.org/libxml2/
  + If it is installed in a nonstandard directory, pass the option
    --with-libxml2-prefix=DIR to 'configure'.

* GNOME glib2
  + Optional.
    Needed for the --color option of the various programs.
    If not present, a subset of libglib2 (included in this package) will be
    compiled into libgettextlib.
  + Homepage:
    http://developer.gnome.org/arch/gtk/glib.html
  + Download:
    http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/sources/glib/
  + If it is installed in a nonstandard directory, pass the option
    --with-libglib-2.0-prefix=DIR to 'configure'.

* GNOME libcroco 0.6.1 or newer
  + Optional.
    Needed for the --color option of the various programs.
    If not present, a copy of libcroco-0.6.1 (included in this package) will
    be compiled into libgettextlib.
  + Homepage:
    http://www.freespiders.org/projects/libcroco/
  + Download:
    http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/sources/libcroco/0.6/
  + If it is installed in a nonstandard directory, pass the option
    --with-libcroco-0.6-prefix=DIR to 'configure'.