UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi,

This question may be quite newbish.

I've stored a few files on my Unix system and am wondering how to search for their contents (i.e. I input the keyword and get a list of files with this keyword)

I'd then like to put it on my website (php).

I thought of find and grep, but am not sure...

thx for answer in advance

Regards,
Aretai

Case sensative:

Code:

grep -l "<searchstring>" <location_of_files>/*

case insensative:

Code:

grep -il "<searchstring>" <location_of_files>/*

or

case sensative:

Code:

find <top_directory_where_files_are_located> -type f -exec grep -l "<searchstring>" {} \;

case insensative:

Code:

find <top_directory_where_files_are_located> -type f -exec grep -il "<searchstring>" {} \;

Thx for answer - yes I tried this command, but there are some problems...

1) The depth of the search - i.e. search on the file's parent directory is working, but when I try to search from grandgrand...parent then it's not working.

I.E I have searched for a string test
grep -l "test" and when it was about 7 folders above in hierarchy it has returned nothing, only when I was in a parent directory to a file that contained this string the name of the file was returned.

2) Some users store files from Unix (i made it possible). For example Word documents. It messes with the coding of the file and it's not possible to search for a given string.

Any solutions?

Regards,
Aretai

so u can go for the following search

grep -sxnlidU <search pattern> */*

-s for suppressing the error
-x for searching for exact match
-i for ignore casse
-r for recursive search
-U for binary interpretation
-n for line no display
-l for printing all search result
Hope this works 4 u

It's quite good, but the problem is I use Solaris and get:
"grep illegal option -r"
"grep -hblcnsviw pattern file"
seems U is also not allowed

(btw. The default behavior is to search only one directory, so the -r option, as provided in GNU and other implementations of grep, is the exception rather than the rule.)

Maybe Solaris forum would be bether then

hi .. it works in Solaris too ..
I have checked it out.

-U and -r are supported in solaris .. check in "man grep"

Believe me I've checked in the manual. The problem is this is supported only by GNU version of grep (and sadly this isn't the case). I thought that there is other solution to this problem.