 |
Index for Section 1 |
|
 |
Alphabetical listing for S |
|
strings(1)
NAME
strings - Finds strings in an ASCII or binary file.
SYNOPSIS
strings [-ao] [-t format] [-n number] [file...]
Obsolescent syntax
strings [-] [-t format] [-number] [file...]
STANDARDS
Interfaces documented on this reference page conform to industry standards
as follows:
strings: XPG4, XPG4-UNIX
Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information about
industry standards and associated tags.
OPTIONS
-a Searches an entire object file, rather than just the initialized data
space.
-n number
Sets the minimum string length to number rather than the default of 4.
-o Precedes each string by its offset (in octal) in the file.
-t format
Writes each string preceded by its byte offset from the start of the
file. The format is dependent on the single character used as the
format argument, as follows:
d The offset is written in decimal.
o The offset is written in octal.
x The offset is written in hexadecimal.
-number
Sets the minimum string length to number rather than the default of 4.
(Obsolescent)
- Searches an entire object file, rather than just the initialized data
space. (Obsolescent)
OPERANDS
file
The name of a file to be searched for strings.
If you do not specify a file argument, strings reads from standard
input.
DESCRIPTION
A string is any sequence of 4 or more printing characters ending with a
newline or null character. The strings command is useful for identifying
random object files.
[Compaq] Unless the -a option is given, strings only looks in the
initialized data space of object files.
NOTES
[Compaq] The -t format option should be used when multiple files are
specified as input. Without this option, there is no way to determine
which string is associated with which file.
EXIT STATUS
The following exit values are returned:
0 Successful completion.
>0 An error occurred.
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
The following environment variables affect the execution of strings:
LANG
Provides a default value for the internationalization variables that
are unset or null. If LANG is unset or null, the corresponding value
from the default locale is used. If any of the internationalization
variables contain an invalid setting, the utility behaves as if none of
the variables had been defined.
LC_ALL
If set to a non-empty string value, overrides the values of all the
other internationalization variables.
LC_CTYPE
Determines the locale for the interpretation of sequences of bytes of
text data as characters (for example, single-byte as opposed to
multbyte characters in arguments and input files) and to identify
printable strings.
LC_MESSAGES
Determines the locale for the format and contents of diagnostic
messages written to standard error.
NLSPATH
Determines the location of message catalogues for the processing of
LC_MESSAGES.
SEE ALSO
Commands: nm(1), od(1)
Standards: standards(5)