STRINGS(1)                           BSD                            STRINGS(1)



NAME
     strings - find the printable strings in an object file

SYNOPSIS
     strings [ - ] [ -a  ] [ -o ] [ -number ] file . . .

DESCRIPTION
     The strings command looks for ASCII strings in a binary file.  A string
     is normally defined as any sequence of four or more printing characters
     ending with a newline or a null.  strings is useful for identifying
     random object files.

OPTIONS
     -
     -a        Unless the - or -a option is specified, strings only looks in
               the initialized data space of object files.

     -o        Print each string preceded by its offset from the base of the
               file (in octal).

     -number   Use number, rather than 4, as the minimum string length.

EXAMPLES
     The following examples demonstrate typical usages of strings. The file in
     this case is /bin/nice.  The first example lists the strings; the second
     example lists the strings, along with their offset from the file base:

     % strings /bin/nice
     @(#) Copyright (c) 1980 Regents of the University of California.
     All rights reserved.
     @(#)nice.c
     3.1 - 87/07/15
     usage: nice [ -n ] command
     setpriority
     %

     % strings -o /bin/nice
     1024 @(#) Copyright (c) 1980 Regents of the University of California.
     1089  All rights reserved.
     1112 @(#)nice.c
     1123 3.1  - 87/07/15
     1140 usage: nice [ -n ] command
     1168 setpriority
     %


SEE ALSO
     od(1)