xref: /original-bsd/usr.bin/strings/strings.1 (revision 703f6d5d)
1.\" Copyright (c) 1980, 1990 The Regents of the University of California.
2.\" All rights reserved.
3.\"
4.\" %sccs.include.redist.man%
5.\"
6.\"     @(#)strings.1	6.11 (Berkeley) 05/09/91
7.\"
8.Dd
9.Dt STRINGS 1
10.Os BSD 3
11.Sh NAME
12.Nm strings
13.Nd find printable strings in a file
14.Sh SYNOPSIS
15.Nm strings
16.Op Fl afo
17.Op Fl n Ar number
18.Op Ar file ...
19.Sh DESCRIPTION
20.Nm Strings
21displays the sequences of printable characters in each of the specified
22files, or in the standard input, by default.
23By default, a sequence must be at least four characters in length
24before being displayed.
25.Pp
26The options are as follows:
27.Bl -tag -width Ds
28.It Fl a
29By default,
30.Nm strings
31only searches the text and data segments of object files.
32The
33.Fl a
34option causes
35.Nm strings
36to search the entire object file.
37.It Fl f
38Each string is preceded by the name of the file
39in which it was found.
40.It Fl n
41Specifies the minimum number of characters in a sequence to be
42.Ar number ,
43instead of four.
44.It Fl o
45Each string is preceded by its decimal offset in the
46file.
47.El
48.Pp
49.Nm Strings
50is useful for identifying random binaries, among other things.
51.Sh SEE ALSO
52.Xr hexdump 1
53.Sh BUGS
54The algorithm for identifying strings is extremely primitive.
55In particular, machine code instructions on certain architectures
56can resemble sequences of ASCII bytes, which
57will fool the algorithm.
58.Sh COMPATIBILITY
59Historic implementations of
60.Nm
61only search the initialized data portion of the object file.
62This was reasonable as strings were normally stored there.
63Given new compiler technology which installs strings in the
64text portion of the object file, the default behavior was
65changed.
66.Sh HISTORY
67The
68.Nm
69command appeared in
70.Bx 3.0 .
71