strfile(8)

NAME

strfile, unstr - create a random access file for storing

strings

SYNOPSIS

strfile [-iorsx] [-c char] source_file [output_file]
unstr source_file

DESCRIPTION

Strfile reads a file containing groups of lines separated by

a line con
taining a single percent `%' sign and creates a data file

which contains
a header structure and a table of file offsets for each

group of lines.
This allows random access of the strings.

The output file, if not specified on the command line, is

named
source_file.out.

The options are as follows:

-c char Change the delimiting character from the percent

sign to char.

-i Ignore case when ordering the strings.

-o Order the strings in alphabetical order. The off

set table will

be sorted in the alphabetical order of the groups

of lines ref
erenced. Any initial non-alphanumeric characters

are ignored.
This option causes the STR_ORDERED bit in the head

er str_flags
field to be set.

-r Randomize access to the strings. Entries in the

offset table

will be randomly ordered. This option causes the

STR_RANDOM bit
in the header str_flags field to be set.

-s Run silently; don't give a summary message when

finished.

-x Note that each alphabetic character in the groups

of lines is

rotated 13 positions in a simple caesar cypher.

This option
causes the STR_ROTATED bit in the header str_flags

field to be
set.

The format of the header is:

#define VERSION 1
unsigned long str_version; /* version number */
unsigned long str_numstr; /* # of strings in the file

*/
unsigned long str_longlen; /* length of longest string

*/
unsigned long str_shortlen; /* length of shortest string

*/
#define STR_RANDOM 0x1 /* randomized pointers */
#define STR_ORDERED 0x2 /* ordered pointers */
#define STR_ROTATED 0x4 /* rot-13'd text */
unsigned long str_flags; /* bit field for flags */
char str_delim; /* delimiting character */

All fields are written in network byte order.

The purpose of unstr is to undo the work of strfile. It

prints out the
strings contained in the file source_file in the order that

they are
listed in the header file source_file.dat to standard out

put. It is pos
sible to create sorted versions of input files by using -o

when strfile
is run and then using unstr to dump them out in the table

order.

SEE ALSO

byteorder(3), fortune(6)

FILES

strfile.out default output file.

HISTORY

The strfile utility first appeared in 4.4BSD.

4th Berkeley Distribution June 9, 1993 4th Berkeley

Distribution