
STRINGS(1)		   UNIX Reference Manual		  STRINGS(1)

NNAAMMEE
     ssttrriinnggss - find printable strings in a file

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
     ssttrriinnggss [--aaffoo] [--nn _n_u_m_b_e_r] [_f_i_l_e _._._.]

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
     SSttrriinnggss displays the sequences of printable characters in each of the
     specified files, or in the standard input, by default.  By default, a se-
     quence must be at least four characters in length before being displayed.

     The options are as follows:

     --aa	By default, ssttrriinnggss only searches the text and data segments of
	     object files.  The --aa option causes ssttrriinnggss to search the entire
	     object file.

     --ff	Each string is preceded by the name of the file in which it was
	     found.

     --nn	Specifies the minimum number of characters in a sequence to be
	     _n_u_m_b_e_r, instead of four.

     --oo	Each string is preceded by its decimal offset in the file.

     SSttrriinnggss is useful for identifying random binaries, among other things.

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
     hexdump(1)

BBUUGGSS
     The algorithm for identifying strings is extremely primitive.  In partic-
     ular, machine code instructions on certain architectures can resemble se-
     quences of ASCII bytes, which will fool the algorithm.

CCOOMMPPAATTIIBBIILLIITTYY
     Historic implementations of ssttrriinnggss only search the initialized data por-
     tion of the object file.  This was reasonable as strings were normally
     stored there.  Given new compiler technology which installs strings in
     the text portion of the object file, the default behavior was changed.

HHIISSTTOORRYY
     The ssttrriinnggss command appeared in 3.0BSD.

3rd Berkeley Distribution	 May 9, 1991				1
