STRFILE(8)              FreeBSD 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 referenced.  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.

FreeBSD 13.1-RELEASE-p6        February 17, 2005       FreeBSD 13.1-RELEASE-p6