strfile

STRFILE(1)               UNIX System Manager's Manual               STRFILE(1)



NAME
       strfile - create a random access file for storing strings
       unstr - dump strings in pointer order

SYNOPSIS
       strfile [-iorsx] [-c char] sourcefile [outputfile]
       unstr [-c char] datafile[.ext] [outputfile]

DESCRIPTION
       strfile  reads  a  file  containing groups of lines separated by a line
       containing a single percent `%'  sign  (or  other  specified  delimiter
       character)  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 purpose of unstr is to undo the work of strfile.  It prints out the
       strings  contained in the sourcefile, which is datafile.ext without its
       extension, or datafile if no extension is specified (in this case,  the
       extension  .dat is added to the name of the datafile) in the order that
       they are listed in the header file datafile.  If no outputfile is spec‐
       ified,  it  prints  to standard output; otherwise it prints to the file
       specified.  unstr can also universally change the  delimiter  character
       in  a  strings file.  It is possible to create sorted versions of input
       files by using strfile -o and then using unstr to dump them out in  the
       table order.

   Options
       The options are as follows:

       -c char
              Change  the  delimiting character from the percent sign to char.
              This option is available for both strfile and unstr.

       -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 ref‐
              erenced.  Any initial non-alphanumeric characters  are  ignored.
              This  option  causes the STR_ORDERED bit in the header str_flags
              field to be set. (It also now really does sort! It  didn't  used
              to).

       -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. (And really does ran‐
              domize)

       -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 cypher.  This option
              causes the STR_ROTATED bit in the header str_flags field  to  be
              set.  Note  that  it does not rotate the strings--that operation
              must be performed separately.

   Header
       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; /* shortest string length */
       #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 network byte order.

BUGS
       Fewer now, one hopes.  However, fortunes (text strings) beginning  with
       a blank line appear to be sorted between random letters.  This includes
       ASCII art that contains no letters, and first  lines  that  are  solely
       non-alphanumeric, apparently.  I've no idea why this should be.

OTHER USES
       What  can  you do with this besides printing sarcastic and obscene mes‐
       sages to the screens of lusers at login or logout?

       There are some other possibilities.  Source code for a sample  program,
       randstr, is included with this distribution: randstr splits the differ‐
       ence between unstr and fortune.  It reads a single, specified file, and
       randomly selects a single text string.

       1      Include strfile.h into a news reading/posting program, to gener‐
              ate random signatures.  Tin(1) does something similar, in a much
              more complex manner.

       2      Include it in a game.  While strfile doesn't support 'fields' or
              'records', there's no reason that the text strings can't be con‐
              sistent: first line, a die roll; second line, a score; third and
              subsequent lines, a text message.

       3      Use it to store your address book.  Hell, some  of  the  guys  I
              know would be as well off using it to decide who to call on Fri‐
              day nights (and for some, it wouldn't matter whether there  were
              phone numbers in it or not).

       4      Use  it  in  'lottery'  situations.   If  you're an ISP, write a
              script to store login names and GECOS from /etc/passwd  in  str‐
              file format, write another to send 'congratulations, you've won'
              to the lucky login selected.  The prize might be a month's  free
              service,  or  if  you're  AOL,  a  month  free on a real service
              provider.

SEE ALSO
       byteorder(3), fortune(6)

HISTORY
       The strfile utility first appeared in 4.4BSD. This version was  heavily
       modified,  much  of  it in ways peculiar to Linux.  Work has since been
       done to make the code more generic, and has so far been tested to  work
       with  SunOS  4.x.   More platforms are expected to be supported as work
       continues.



4th Berkeley Distribution   June 9, 1993 [Apr. '97]                 STRFILE(1)