.\" Copyright (c) 1990, 1993, 1994
.\"	The Regents of the University of California.  All rights reserved.
.\"
.\" %sccs.include.redist.man%
.\"
.\"     @(#)file.1	8.2 (Berkeley) 03/31/94
.\"
.Dd 
.Dt FILE 1
.Os
.Sh NAME
.Nm file
.Nd identify file content
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.Nm file
.Op Fl h
.Ar file ...
.Sh DESCRIPTION
.Nm File
tests the specified files and attempts to classify them.
If a file is a text file,
it attempts to determine the type of text (e.g.
.Xr csh 1
commands or C source code).
.Pp
The options are as follows:
.Bl -tag -width Ds
.It Fl h
If a symbolic link is specified, identify the file as a symbolic
link.
By default, symbolic links are only identified if they reference
non-existent files.
.El
.Sh COMPATIBILITY
Previous implementations of the
.Nm file
utility did not follow symbolic links by default.
.Sh BUGS
As many tests are used and
.Nm file
stops testing on the first successful one, it can often make mistakes.
.Sh HISTORY
A
.Nm file
command appeared in
.At v6 .