usr/src/usr.bin/strings/strings.1

.\" Copyright (c) 1980, 1990 The Regents of the University of California.
.\" All rights reserved.
.\"
.\" %sccs.include.redist.man%
.\"
.\"     @(#)strings.1   6.7 (Berkeley) %G%
.\"
.TH STRINGS 1 "%Q"
.UC
.SH NAME
strings \- find the printable strings in a file
.SH SYNOPSIS
.ft B
strings [ \-ao ] [ \-n number ] [ file ... ]
.ft R
.SH DESCRIPTION
.I String
displays the sequences of printable characters in each of the specified
files, or in the standard input, by default.
By default, a sequence must be at least four characters in length
before being displayed.
.PP
The options are as follows:
.TP
\-a
By default,
.I strings
only searches the initialized data space of object files.
The
.I \-a
option causes
.I strings
to search the entire object file.
.TP
\-n
Specifies the minimum number of characters in a sequence to be
.IR number ,
instead of four.
.TP
\-o
The
.I \-o
option causes each string to be preceded by its decimal offset in the
file.
.PP
.I Strings
is useful for identifying random binaries, among other things.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
hexdump(1)
.SH BUGS
The algorithm for identifying strings is extremely primitive.