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strings(1)

NAME

       strings - print the strings of printable characters in files.

SYNOPSIS

       strings [-afov] [-min-len]
	       [-n min-len] [--bytes=min-len]
	       [-t radix] [--radix=radix]
	       [-e encoding] [--encoding=encoding]
	       [-] [--all] [--print-file-name]
	       [--target=bfdname]
	       [--help] [--version] file...

DESCRIPTION

       For  each  file	given,	GNU  strings  prints  the  printable character
       sequences that are at least 4 characters long (or the number given with
       the  options  below)  and are followed by an unprintable character.  By
       default, it only prints the strings from  the  initialized  and	loaded
       sections  of  object  files;  for  other  types of files, it prints the
       strings from the whole file.

       strings is mainly useful  for  determining  the	contents  of  non-text
       files.

OPTIONS

       -a
       --all
       -   Do  not  scan  only	the  initialized and loaded sections of object
	   files; scan the whole files.

       -f
       --print-file-name
	   Print the name of the file before each string.

       --help
	   Print a summary of the program usage on  the  standard  output  and
	   exit.

       -min-len
       -n min-len
       --bytes=min-len
	   Print  sequences of characters that are at least min-len characters
	   long, instead of the default 4.

       -o  Like -t o.  Some other versions of strings have -o act  like  -t  d
	   instead.   Since we can not be compatible with both ways, we simply
	   chose one.

       -t radix
       --radix=radix
	   Print the offset within the file before each  string.   The	single
	   character argument specifies the radix of the offset---o for octal,
	   x for hexadecimal, or d for decimal.

       -e encoding
       --encoding=encoding

	   Specify an object code format other than your system's default for-
	   mat.

       -v
       --version
	   Print the program version number on the standard output and exit.

SEE ALSO

       ar(1), nm(1), objdump(1), ranlib(1), readelf(1) and  the  Info  entries
       for binutils.

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright  (c)  1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001, 2002,
       2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

       Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify	this  document
       under  the  terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
       any later version published by the Free Software  Foundation;  with  no
       Invariant  Sections,  with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover
       Texts.  A copy of the license is included in the section entitled ``GNU
       Free Documentation License''.

binutils-2.14.91		  2004-04-09			    STRINGS(1)

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