STRFILE(8) | System Manager's Manual | STRFILE(8)

# NAME

`strfile`, `unstr` — create a random access file for storing strings

# SYNOPSIS

`strfile` | [`-iorsx`] [`-c` char] source_file [output_file]

`unstr` | source_file

# DESCRIPTION

`strfile` 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` 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; don't 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 cipher. 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
    unsigned long   str_version;    /* version number */
    unsigned long   str_numstr;     /* # of strings in the file */
    unsigned long   str_longlen;    /* length of longest string */
    unsigned long   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 */
    unsigned long   str_flags;      /* bit field for flags */
    char str_delim;                 /* delimiting character */

All fields are written in big-endian 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.

January 17, 2010 | NetBSD 11.0