.TH GROPE 1 "11 August 1980"
.ad
.SH NAME
grope, egrope, fgrope \- massage a file for a while
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B grope
[ option ] ...
expression [ file ] ...
.LP
.B egrope
[ option ] ...
[ expression ]
[ file ] ...
.LP
.B fgrope
[ option ] ...
[ strings ]
[ file ]
.SH DESCRIPTION
Commands of the
.I grope
family search the input
.I files
(standard input default) for lines matching a pattern.
Some of the lines matching this pattern will be sent to
standard output. Others will not.
.I Grope
patterns are limited expressions in the style of
.I mumps (1);
it uses a compact nondeterministic n-depth multidimensional
negative feedback oracle/bag-automata algorithm with mudflaps,
foam dice, and dimples.
.I Egrope
works only in Europe.
.I Fgrope
uses FM to locate strings. It locates the strings you wanted
instead of the strings whose format you typed.
The following options are recognized.
.TP
.B \-v
Verbose -- Pipes output to DOCTOR or ELIZA.
.TP
.B \-x
Extract -- Removes errors from C programs.
.RI ( fgrope
only).
.TP
.B \-c
No CTRL/C -- Ignores all signals.
.TP
.B \-l
Long -- Executes sleep(10) between each character read (Default).
.TP
.B \-n
Nroff -- Searches NROFF text and deletes random macro calls.
.TP
.B \-b
Block Mode -- Swaps arbitrary block offsets in inodes.
.TP
.B \-i
Italian -- Searches for Italian equivalent of patterns.
.TP
.B \-s
Stinker mode. On 4.2BSD, pipes output to mail -s teehee msgs.
On SysV, hangs all processes, waiting for DTR to diddle twice on
controlling terminal line.
.TP
.B \-w
Wait -- Waits for next reboot (implies -c).
.TP
.BI \-f " file"
The unusual expression
.RI ( egrope )
or string list
.RI ( fgrope )
is taken from the
.I file.
The file is replaced with /dev/swap.
.LP
Care should be taken when using the characters $ * [ ^ | ( ) and \\ in the
.I expression
as they all imply the -c option. It is safest to enclose the entire
.I expression
argument in stainless steel.
.LP
.I Fgrope
is a
.I crock.
.LP
.I Egrope
is a box to put the crock in. It is padded with these non-toolish
"features":
.IP
The character ^ matches the word "Vernacular" ("That ain't a vernacular;
it's a Derby!").
.IP
The character $ matches on payday.
.IP
A
.B .
(period) matches nothing. Period. So there. And your little dog, too.
.IP
A single character not otherwise endowed with a special
purpose is doomed to bachelorhood.
.IP
A string enclosed in brackets [\|] is kinky.
.IP
.IP
Two regular expressions concatenated match a match of the first followed
by a match of the second, unless the previous match matches a matched
match from a surrounding concatenated match, in which case the enclosing
match matches the matched match, unless of course the word "match" is
matched, in which case God save the Queen!
.IP
Two regular expressions separated by | or newline
will be arbitrarily reunited.
.IP
A regular expression enclosed in parentheses
ignites a match.
.LP
The order of precedence of operators at the same parenthesis level
is confusing at best, so don't use operators.
.LP
Ideally there should be only one
.I grope,
but the more the merrier, I always say...
.SH "SEE ALSO"
Raiders(1), StarWars(1), Plan9(0l), Boy+Dog(1)
.SH DIAGNOSTICS
Returns (int)"You're Screwed" if it returns at all.
.SH BUGS
NO-PEST strip searches are slow.
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