NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       look - Finds lines in a sorted list

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

       look [-df] [-tcharacter] string [file]

       The  look  command  prints all lines in a sorted file that
       begin with string.

OPTIONS    [Toc]    [Back]

       Uses dictionary order; only  letters,  digits,  tabs,  and
       spaces  are  used in comparisons.  Searches without regard
       to case; treats uppercase  and  lowercase  as  equivalent.
       Ignores  character  and  characters  following  it  in the
       search string.  If you specify look -tC ABCDE, the  string
       ABCDE would become (in effect) AB, with CDE being ignored.
       This option is primarily for shell scripts, in which  more
       than one string is being processed.

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       If  no file is specified, look searches in the system word
       list /usr/share/dict/words, with the options  -df  assumed
       by default.

       The look command uses binary search.

       The -d and -f options affect comparisons as in sort.

NOTES    [Toc]    [Back]

       In  order  to  use the -f option, you must first sort file
       with the sort -f command; otherwise,  look  displays  only
       lowercase items.

       If  you  do  not  specify  -f, but specify a file (such as
       /usr/share/dict/words) that has been sorted with sort  -f,
       look may not produce any output.

EXAMPLES    [Toc]    [Back]

       To search a sorted file called sortfile for all lines that
       begin with the string  as,  enter:  look  as  sortfile  To
       search  the  system word list for all words beginning with
       smi, enter: look smi

              This might result in: smile smirk smith smithereens
              Smithfield Smithson smithy smitten

FILES    [Toc]    [Back]

       System word list.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

       Commands:  grep(1), sort(1), spell(1)



                                                          look(1)