strings(1) strings(1)
NAME [Toc] [Back]
strings - find the printable strings in an object or other binary file
SYNOPSIS [Toc] [Back]
strings [-a] [-t format] [-n number] [file] ...
Obsolescent [Toc] [Back]
strings [-a] [-o] [-number] [file] ...
DESCRIPTION [Toc] [Back]
strings looks for ASCII strings in a file. If no file is specified,
standard input is used. A string is any sequence of four or more
printing characters ending with a newline or null character.
strings is useful for identifying random object files and many other
things.
Options [Toc] [Back]
strings recognizes the following options:
-a By default, strings looks only in the initialized
data space of object files (as recognized by their
magic numbers). If this flag is used, the entire
file is inspected. This flag is always set if
standard input is being read or the file is not
recognized as an object file. For backward
compatibility, - is understood as a synonym for -
a.
-t format Write 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 optionargument:
d The offset is written in decimal.
o The offset is written in octal.
x The offset is written in hexadecimal.
-n number Specify number as the minimum string length,
rather than the default 4.
-o Each string is preceded by its offset in the file
(in octal). This option is obsolescent and is
equivalent to specifying the -t o option.
-number Specify number as the minimum string length,
rather than the default 4. This option is
obsolescent and is equivalent to using the -n
number option.
Hewlett-Packard Company - 1 - HP-UX 11i Version 2: August 2003
strings(1) strings(1)
EXTERNAL INFLUENCES [Toc] [Back]
Environment Variables
LC_CTYPE determines the locale for the interpretation of text as
single- and/or multi-byte characters.
LC_MESSAGES determines the language in which messages are displayed.
If LC_CTYPE or LC_MESSAGES is not specified in the environment or is
set to the empty string, the value of LANG is used as a default for
each unspecified or empty variable. If LANG is not specified or is
set to the empty string, a default of "C" (see lang(5)) is used
instead of LANG.
NLSPATH Determine the location of message catalogues for the
processing of LC_MESSAGES.
If any internationalization variable contains an invalid setting,
strings behaves as if all internationalization variables are set to
"C". See environ(5).
WARNINGS [Toc] [Back]
The algorithm for identifying strings is extremely primitive.
AUTHOR [Toc] [Back]
strings was developed by the University of California, Berkeley.
SEE ALSO [Toc] [Back]
od(1).
STANDARDS CONFORMANCE [Toc] [Back]
strings: XPG4, POSIX.2
Hewlett-Packard Company - 2 - HP-UX 11i Version 2: August 2003 [ Back ] |