STRINGS



NAME
       strings - find the printable strings in a object, or other binary, file

SYNOPSIS
       strings [ - ] [ -a ] [ -o ] [ -t format ] [ -number ]  [  -n  number  ]
       [--] [file ...]

DESCRIPTION
       Strings  looks  for  ASCII  strings in a binary file or standard input.
       Strings is useful for identifying random object files  and  many  other
       things.   A  string is any sequence of 4 (the default) or more printing
       characters ending with a newline or a  null.   Unless  the  -  flag  is
       given,  strings  looks  in  all sections of the object files except the
       (__TEXT,__text) section.  If no files are specified standard  input  is
       read.

       The options to strings(1) are:

       -a     This  option  causes strings to look for strings in all sections
              of the object file (including the (__TEXT,__text) section.

       -      This option causes strings to look for strings in all  bytes  of
              the files (the default for non-object files).

       --     This  option causes strings to treat all the following arguments
              as files.

       -o     Preceded each string by its offset in the file (in decimal).

       -t format
              Write each string preceded by its byte offset from the start  of
              the file.  The format shall be dependent on the single character
              used as the format option-argument:

       d      The offset shall be written in decimal.

       o      The offset shall be written in octal.

       x      The offset shall be written in hexadecimal.

       -number
              The decimal number is used as the minimum string  length  rather
              than the default of 4.

       -n number
              Specify  the minimum string length, where the number argument is
              a positive decimal integer. The default shall be 4.

SEE ALSO
       od(1)

BUGS
       The algorithm for identifying strings is extremely primitive.



Apple Computer, Inc.           November 10, 2004                    STRINGS(1)