---
layout: page
category_title: Intermediate commands
category-page: intermediate
tags: strings read binaries file
author: Marco Farace
title: Strings
---

<h2>Use: The strings command returns each string of printable characters (ASCII)
  in files. Its main uses are to determine the contents of and to extract text
  from binary files (i.e., non-text files). </h2>

<p>From the Shell manual: "find the printable strings in a object, or other binary,
   file".<br>
  Strings can be used to extract character information and string of a given lenght
  from text file(s). When used without any options, strings displays all strings
  that are at least four characters in length in the files whose names are
  supplied as arguments (i.e., input data). Strings that are on separate lines
  in the input files are shown on separate lines on the screen, and an attempt
  is made to display all strings found on a single line in a file on a single
  line on the screen (although there may be a carryover to subsequent lines in
  the event that numerous strings are found on a single line). strings looks in
  all sections of the object files except the (__TEXT,__text) section.</p>

  <p>Basic syntax for this command is as follows:</p>

   <pre>strings [options] file_name(s)</pre>

   <pre>strings -n 2 file1 file2</pre>

   <p>For example, the code above would display all strings in the files named
     file1 and file2 that consist of at least two characters.</p>

<h3> Flags <h3>
  <ul>
    <li><b>-n</b><br><br>
    Specify the minimum string length, where the number argument  is
    a positive decimal integer. The default shall be 4.</li>

    <li><b>-</b><br><br>
    This  option  causes strings to look for strings in all bytes of
    the files (the default for non-object files).</li>

    <li><b>--</b><br><br>
    This option causes strings to treat all the following  arguments
    as files.</li>

    <li><b>-a</b><br><br>
    This option causes strings to look for strings in  all  sections
    of the object file (including the (__TEXT,__text) section.</li>
  </ul>