strfile(8)

NAME

strfile, unstr - create a random access file for storing

strings

SYNOPSIS

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

DESCRIPTION

The strfile utility reads a file containing groups of lines

separated by
a line containing 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.dat.

The options are as follows:

-C Flag the file as containing comments. This

option cases

the STR_COMMENTS bit in the header str_flags

field to be
set. Comments are designated by two delim

iter characters
at the beginning of the line, though strfile

does not give
any special treatment to comment lines.

-c char Change the delimiting character from the per

cent sign to

char.

-i Ignore case when ordering the strings.

-o Order the strings in alphabetical order. The

offset table

will be sorted in the alphabetical order of

the groups of
lines referenced. Any initial non-alphanu

meric characters
are ignored. This option causes the STR_OR

DERED bit in
the header 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; do not 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
uint32_t str_version; /* version number */
uint32_t str_numstr; /* # of strings in the file

*/
uint32_t str_longlen; /* length of longest string

*/
uint32_t 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 */
#define STR_COMMENTS 0x8 /* embedded comments */
uint32_t 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 possible 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.

FILES

strfile.dat default output file.

SEE ALSO

byteorder(3), fortune(6)

HISTORY

The strfile utility first appeared in 4.4BSD.

BSD February 17, 2005

BSD