look(1) — Linux manual pages

Linux manual pages	Section 1

DESCRIPTION

The look utility displays any lines in file which contain string. As look performs a binary search, the lines in file must be sorted (where sort(1) was given the same options −dand/or −fthat look is invoked with).

If file is not specified, the file /usr/share/dict/words is used, only alphanumeric characters are compared and the case of alphabetic characters is ignored.

OPTIONS

−a, −−alternative

Use the alternative dictionary file.

−d, −−alphanum

Use normal dictionary character set and order, i.e., only blanks and alphanumeric characters are compared. This is on by default if no file is specified.

Note that blanks have been added to dictionary character set for compatibility with sort −d command since version 2.28.

−f, −−ignore−case

Ignore the case of alphabetic characters. This is on by default if no file is specified.

−t, −−terminate character

Specify a string termination character, i.e., only the characters in string up to and including the first occurrence of character are compared.

−V, −−version

Display version information and exit.

−h, −−help

Display help text and exit.

The look utility exits 0 if one or more lines were found and displayed, 1 if no lines were found, and >1 if an error occurred.

ENVIRONMENT

WORDLIST: Path to a dictionary file. The environment variable has greater priority than the dictionary path defined in FILES segment.

FILES

/usr/share/dict/words: the dictionary
/usr/share/dict/web2: the alternative dictionary

HISTORY

The look utility appeared in Version 7 AT&T Unix.

EXAMPLES

sort −d /etc/passwd −o /tmp/look.dict
look −t: root:foobar /tmp/look.dict

AVAILABILITY

The look command is part of the util-linux package and is available from https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/.

  Copyright (c) 1990, 1993
The Regents of the University of California.  All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
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   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
   documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software
   must display the following acknowledgement:
This product includes software developed by the University of
California, Berkeley and its contributors.
4. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors
   may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
   without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
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IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
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    (#)look.1 8.1 (Berkeley) 6/14/93

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