bsd man page for ctags

CTAGS(1)						      General Commands Manual							  CTAGS(1)

NAME
       ctags - create a tags file

SYNOPSIS
       ctags [ -BFatuwvx ] [ -f tagsfile ] name ...

DESCRIPTION
       Ctags  makes  a tags file for ex(1) from the specified C, Pascal, Fortran, YACC, lex, and lisp sources.	A tags file gives the locations of
       specified objects (in this case functions and typedefs) in a group of files.  Each line of the tags file contains the object name, the file
       in which it is defined, and an address specification for the object definition. Functions are searched with a pattern, typedefs with a line
       number. Specifiers are given in separate fields on the line, separated by blanks or tabs.  Using the tags file, ex can quickly  find  these
       objects definitions.

       If the -x flag is given, ctags produces a list of object names, the line number and file name on which each is defined, as well as the text
       of that line and prints this on the standard output.  This is a simple index which can be printed out  as  an  off-line	readable  function
       index.

       If the -v flag is given, an index of the form expected by vgrind(1) is produced on the standard output.	This listing contains the function
       name, file name, and page number (assuming 64 line pages).  Since the output will be sorted into lexicographic order, it may be desired	to
       run the output through sort -f.	Sample use:
	    ctags -v files | sort -f > index
	    vgrind -x index

       Normally ctags places the tag descriptions in a file called tags; this may be overridden with the -f option.

       Files whose names end in .c or .h are assumed to be C source files and are searched for C routine and macro definitions.  Files whose names
       end in .y are assumed to be YACC source files.  Files whose names end in .l are assumed to be either lisp files if  their  first  non-blank
       character is `;', `(', or `[', or lex files otherwise.  Other files are first examined to see if they contain any Pascal or Fortran routine
       definitions; if not, they are processed again looking for C definitions.

       Other options are:

       -F   use forward searching patterns (/.../) (default).

       -B   use backward searching patterns (?...?).

       -a   append to tags file.

       -t   create tags for typedefs.

       -w   suppressing warning diagnostics.

       -u   causing the specified files to be updated in tags, that is, all references to them are deleted, and the new values are appended to the
	    file.  (Beware: this option is implemented in a way which is rather slow; it is usually faster to simply rebuild the tags file.)

       The  tag  main  is  treated specially in C programs.  The tag formed is created by prepending M to the name of the file, with a trailing .c
       removed, if any, and leading pathname components also removed.  This makes use of ctags practical in directories with more  than  one  pro-
       gram.

FILES
       tags	 output tags file

SEE ALSO
       ex(1), vi(1)

AUTHOR
       Ken Arnold; FORTRAN added by Jim Kleckner; Bill Joy added Pascal and -x, replacing cxref; C typedefs added by Ed Pelegri-Llopart.

BUGS
       Recognition of functions, subroutines and procedures for FORTRAN and Pascal is done is a very simpleminded way.	No attempt is made to deal
       with block structure; if you have two Pascal procedures in different blocks with the same name you lose.

       The method of deciding whether to look for C or Pascal and FORTRAN functions is a hack.

       Does not know about #ifdefs.

       Should know about Pascal types.	Relies on the input being well formed to detect typedefs.  Use of -tx shows only the last  line  of  type-
       defs.

4th Berkeley Distribution					   May 30, 1985 							  CTAGS(1)