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32 .\" @(#)ctags.1 8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
33 .\" $FreeBSD: src/usr.bin/ctags/ctags.1,v 1.5.2.6 2002/07/30 01:06:31 tjr Exp $
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61 A tags file gives the locations of specified objects in a group of files.
62 Each line of the tags file contains the object name, the file in which it
63 is defined, and a search pattern for the object definition, separated by
69 can quickly locate these object definitions.
70 Depending upon the options provided to
72 objects will consist of subroutines, typedefs, defines, structs,
75 The following options are available:
76 .Bl -tag -width indent
78 Use backward searching patterns
81 Use forward searching patterns
91 that do not take arguments;
93 that take arguments are tagged automatically.
95 Place the tag descriptions in a file called
97 The default behaviour is to place them in a file called
100 Create tags for typedefs, structs, unions, and enums.
102 Update the specified files in the
105 references to them are deleted, and the new values are appended to the
107 (Beware: this option is implemented in a way which is rather
108 slow; it is usually faster to simply rebuild the
112 An index of the form expected by
114 is produced on the standard output.
116 contains the object name, file name, and page number (assuming 64
118 Since the output will be sorted into lexicographic order,
119 it may be desired to run the output through
122 .Bd -literal -offset indent
123 ctags -v files | sort -f > index
127 Suppress warning diagnostics.
130 produces a list of object
131 names, the line number and file name on which each is defined, as well
132 as the text of that line and prints this on the standard output.
134 is a simple index which can be printed out as an off-line readable
138 Files whose names end in
143 source files and are searched for C style routine and macro definitions.
144 Files whose names end in
149 Files whose names end in
151 are assumed to be Lisp files if their
152 first non-blank character is
161 Other files are first examined to see if they
162 contain any Pascal or Fortran routine definitions, and, if not, are
163 searched for C style definitions.
167 is treated specially in C programs.
169 is created by prepending
171 to the name of the file, with the
174 and any leading pathname components removed.
177 practical in directories with more than one
183 files each have a special tag.
186 of the second section of the
191 the second section of the
195 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa tags" -compact
197 default output tags file
202 utility exits with a value of 1 if an error occurred, 0 otherwise.
203 Duplicate objects are not considered errors.
213 Recognition of functions, subroutines and procedures
214 for Fortran and Pascal is done in a very simpleminded way.
216 is made to deal with block structure; if you have two Pascal procedures
217 in different blocks with the same name you lose.
221 understand about Pascal types.
223 The method of deciding whether to look for C, Pascal or
229 utility relies on the input being well formed, and any syntactical
230 errors will completely confuse it.
231 It also finds some legal syntax
232 confusing; for example, since it does not understand
234 (incidentally, that is a feature, not a bug), any code with unbalanced
237 will cause it to become somewhat disoriented.
238 In a similar fashion, multiple line changes within a definition will
239 cause it to enter the last line of the object, rather than the first, as
240 the searching pattern.
241 The last line of multiple line
243 will similarly be noted.