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LOOK(1)				 User Commands			       LOOK(1)

NAME
       look - display lines beginning with a given string

SYNOPSIS
       look [options] string [file]

DESCRIPTION
       The look	utility	displays any lines in file which contain string	as a
       prefix. As look performs	a binary search, the lines in file must	be
       sorted (where sort(1) was given the same	options	-d and/or -f that 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.

       -h, --help
	   Display help	text and exit.

       -V, --version
	   Print version 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	the 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

SEE ALSO
       grep(1),	sort(1)

REPORTING BUGS
       For bug reports,	use the	issue tracker at
       https://github.com/util-linux/util-linux/issues.

AVAILABILITY
       The look	command	is part	of the util-linux package which	can be
       downloaded from Linux Kernel Archive
       <https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/>.

util-linux 2.39.4		  2024-01-31			       LOOK(1)

Want to link to this manual page? Use this URL:
<https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=look&sektion=1&manpath=FreeBSD+Ports+14.3.quarterly>

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