STRFILE(8)						    BSD System Manager's Manual 						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 delimiter 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 percent 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 refer-
	      enced.  Any initial non-alphanumeric characters are ignored.  This option causes the STR_ORDERED 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 output.  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