grep linux command

grep

grep [options] pattern [files]

Search one or more files for lines that match a regular expression pattern. Regular expressions are described in Chapter 9, 'Pattern Matching'. Exit status is 0 if any lines match, 1 if none match, and 2 for errors. See also egrep and fgrep.

Options

-a, --text

Don't suppress output lines with binary data; treat as text.

-b, --byte-offset

Print the byte offset within the input file before each line of output.

-b, --byte-offset

Print the byte offset within the input file before each line of output.

-c, --count

Print only a count of matched lines. With -v or --revert-match option, count nonmatching lines.

-d action, --directories=action

Define an action for processing directories. Possible actions are:

read

Read directories like ordinary files (default).

skip

Skip directories.

recurse

Recursively read all files under each directory. Same as -r.

-e pattern, --regexp=pattern

Search for pattern. Same as specifying a pattern as an argument, but useful in protecting patterns beginning with -.

-f file, --file=file

Take a list of patterns from file, one per line.

-h, --no-filename

Print matched lines but not filenames (inverse of -l).

-i, --ignore-case

Ignore uppercase and lowercase distinctions.

-l, --files-with-matches

List the names of files with matches but not individual matched lines; scanning per file stops on the first match.

-n, --line-number

Print lines and their line numbers.

-q, --quiet, --silent

Suppress normal output in favor of quiet mode; the scanning stops on the first match.

-r, --recursive

Recursively read all files under each directory. Same as -d recurse.

-s, --no-messages

Suppress error messages about nonexistent or unreadable files.

-v, --revert-match

Print all lines that don't match pattern.

-w, --word-regexp

Match on whole words only. Words are divided by characters that are not letters, digits, or underscores.

-x, --line-regexp

Print lines only if pattern matches the entire line.

-A num, --after-context=num

Print num lines of text that occur after the matching line.

-B num, --before-context=num

Print num lines of text that occur before the matching line.

-C[num], --context=[num], -num

Print num lines of leading and trailing context. Default context is 2 lines.

-L, --files-without-match

List files that contain no matching lines.

-V, --version

Print the version number and then exit.

Examples

List the number of users who use tcsh:

List header files that have at least one #include directive:

List files that don't contain pattern: