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<title>swim - SEARCHING
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<link rev=made href="mailto:mttrader@access.mountain.net">
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<h1>
swim - chapter 11<br>
SEARCHING
</h1>
<pre>usage: swim --search ? (--research || --refinesearch) <pattern(s)>
swim --powersearch ? (--research || --refinesearch) <pattern(s)>
swim --ps ? (--research || --refinesearch) <pattern(s)>
options: [-g] [-n] [--dbpath <dir>] [--root <dir>] [--no]
[--arch <architecture>] [--dists <distribution>
[--ftp ? --source | --source_only <[--diff]>]
[-xyrz --remove ? <[--nz]>] [--stdin] [--apt2df]
[--no] [--df2apt] [--purge] [<\d{1,}>]
[--dir] and no [-g]for --powersearch or --ps
</pre>
<P>
<hr>
<h2><A name="s11.1">
11.1 OVERVIEW
</A></h2>
<strong>swim</strong> provides two major types of searches. A search with
<strong>--search</strong> <em>searches package information</em> (see <A href="ch-query.html#s-format">FORMAT
, section 9.5</A>), and a search with <strong>--powersearch or --ps</strong>
<em>searches package information, and all files and/or directories
associated with each package</em>.
<P>
The results of either of these searches can be <em>narrowed down</em> by
running a test search with <strong>--research</strong> (this step can be
skipped) and/or setting the results in stone with
<strong>--refinesearch</strong>. <strong>--search</strong> can be
<em>narrowed down</em> initially by specifying a particular
<em>group</em>, and <strong>--powersearch</strong> can be
<em>expanded</em> initially by specifying that <em>directories</em> be
searched as well as files. Both searches can <em>use the same virtual
options</em> which the major mode <strong>-q or --query</strong> use.
Generally, it is preferable to run a search, and then to provide the
results of a search (<strong>using -S</strong>) as an argument to
<strong>-q or --query</strong>; this allows the results of a search to be
queried. Every time a search is run the results are appended to the
history, past searches can be refined or researched by providing the
numerical argument pertaining to the history. \d{1,} is simply Perl
notation meaning a number with one of more digits.
<P>
<em>Perl regexps</em> (see <code>perlre(1p))</code> can be used to define the
pattern (string) provided as an argument to a search. Do not surround a
pattern in slashes, a slash is only used after all patterns and before the
<em>modifiers i and/or m</em> (swim supports these two modifiers). To
search for more than one pattern, patterns are separated with <em>bars
(|)</em>. Patterns may include <em>quatifiers, and metacharacters</em>,
also found in <code>egrep(1).</code>
<P>
If a search finds any packages which match the search, the package
information will be displayed as the package is found. The package will
only be shown once regardless of how many times it is found while the
search progresses. When the search is over the number of packages found is
shown.
<P>
<strong>--search</strong> provides a search of package information. This
is similiar to grepping ``<strong>swim -qait</strong>'' or ``<strong>swim
-qaint</strong>'', but it is significantly faster. A search can be
performed on a particular group by using <strong>-g</strong> with a group
as an argument
<P>
<strong>--powersearch</strong> is somewhat similiar to ``<strong>dpkg
--search</strong>'' which searches all files and directories on an
installed system, but it combines <strong>--search</strong> with the file
and/or directory search, and can also be performed on a not-installed
system. A <em>powersearch</em> is significantly faster than the search
which <strong>dpkg</strong> provides (even more so when ``<code>swim
--ramdiskon --searchfile</code>'' is used) and even more importantly
provides a logical output of the search (like ``<code>swim -qi
packagename</code>''). By default a search of all directories is not
performed because usually this is redundant except in rare cases. To
enable a search of all directories use the <strong>--dir</strong> option.
<hr>
<h2><A name="s11.2">
11.2 NARROWING A PREVIOUS SEARCH
</A></h2>
<strong>--research</strong> allows the results of a previous search to be
researched without making the new results permanent.
<P>
<strong>--refinesearch</strong> allows the results of a previous search to
be researched while making the
new results permanent.
<P>
<strong>\d{1,}</strong> is a numerical argument to refine or research a
past search from the history.
<hr>
<h2><A name="s11.3">
11.3 MINOR MODES
</A></h2>
<strong>-n</strong> allows the not-installed databases to be searched.
These databases will not exist if the not-installed databases were made
with the FDB argument (see <code>--initndb</code>).
<P>
<strong>-g</strong> (see -g above and <A href="ch-query.html#s-mm">MINOR MODES
, section 9.1</A>).
<hr>
<h2><A name="s11.4">
11.4 OTHER OPTIONS
</A></h2>
<strong>--no</strong> prevents normal output from a search, but does show
how many packages were found.
<P>
See the section ``<A href="ch-query.html#s-specdata">SPECIFYING THE DATABASES TO USE
, section 9.2</A>'' for options
<strong>--arch</strong>, <strong>-dists</strong>.
<P>
See the section ``<A href="ch-query.html#s-vrftp">FTP - VIRTUAL OPTIONS
, section 9.6</A>'' for
<strong>--ftp</strong>, <strong>--source</strong>,
<strong>--source_only</strong>, <strong>--diff</strong>,
<P>
See the section ``<A href="ch-query.html#s-vrapt">APT - VIRTUAL OPTIONS
, section 9.7</A>'' for
<strong>-xyz</strong>, <strong>--nz</strong>, <strong>--stdin</strong>,
<P>
See the section ``<A href="ch-query.html#s-vrrm">REMOVING AN INSTALLED PACKAGE - VIRTUAL OPTIONS
, section 9.8</A>'' for
<strong>--purge</strong>, <strong>--remove</strong>, <strong>-r</strong>.
<P>
See the section ``<A href="ch-query.html#s-dblocus">DATABASE LOCATIONS
, section 9.11</A>'' for options
<strong>--dbpath</strong> and <strong>--root</strong>.
<hr>
<h2><A name="s11.5">
11.5 EXAMPLES
</A></h2>
<strong>swim -gn hamradio --search "radio network/i" --dbpath
/test --arch alpha</strong>
<P>
will search the alpha architecture not-installed system databases in the
/test directory for all package information from the hamradio group using
the case insensitive pattern ``radio network''.
<P>
<strong>swim --powersearch dpkg -xn</strong>
<P>
will search the not-installed system databases for all package information
and all files using the case sensitive pattern dpkg, after which apt-get
will run a simulation of what would happen if it got and installed these
packages.
<hr>
swim
- <A href="index.html#copyright">
Copyright � 1999 Jonathan D. Rosenbaum
</A>
<br>
<A href="index.html#toc">Contents</A>; <A href="ch-ramdisk.html">next</A>; <A href="ch10.html">back</A>.
<br>
<address>15 June 1999<br>
Jonathan D. Rosenbaum<A href="mailto:mttrader@access.mountain.net">mttrader@access.mountain.net</A></address>
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