strings(1)                                             strings(1)



NAME
     strings - finds the printable strings in an object or  other
     binary file

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

ARGUMENTS
     -    Causes strings to only look in the initialized data
          space of object files, unless this option is given.

     file Specifies the binary file to be searched.

     -o   Causes each string to be preceded by its offset in the
          file (in octal).

     -number
          Causes the specified number to be used as the minimum
          string length, rather than 4.

DESCRIPTION
     strings looks for ASCII strings in a binary file.  A string
     is any sequence of 4 or more printing characters ending with
     a newline or a null.

     The strings program is useful for identifying random object
     files and many other things.

EXAMPLES
     Entering the command:

        strings obj1

     will locate the ASCII-character strings in the object file
     obj1.

LIMITATIONS
     The algorithm for identifying strings is extremely
     primitive.

FILES
     /bin/strings
          Executable file

SEE ALSO
     od(1), xstr(1)









January 1992                                                    1