Top 10 examples of grep command in UNIX and Linux

The grep command is a powerful tool for searching and filtering text files in UNIX and Linux systems. It allows users to search for a specific pattern in a file or a set of files and display the lines that match that pattern. This command is incredibly versatile and can be used for a variety of tasks, including log analysis, system administration, and programming.

In this blog post, we'll explore 10 examples of the grep command in UNIX and Linux, with code examples to illustrate each use case. By the end of this post, you'll have a better understanding of how to use this command and how it can help you in your day-to-day tasks.

Example 1: Basic Search

The most basic use case for the grep command is to search for a specific pattern in a file. To do this, simply enter the following command:

The most basic use case for the grep command is to search for a specific pattern in a file. To do this, simply enter the following command:

grep apple fruits.txt

For example, to search for the word "apple" in the file "fruits.txt", enter the following command:

This will display all lines in the file that contain the word "apple".

Example 2: Case-Insensitive Search

By default, the grep command is case-sensitive, which means that it will only match patterns that are identical in case to the search term. However, you can use the -i option to perform a case-insensitive search. For example:

grep -i apple fruits.txt

This will match lines that contain "apple", "Apple", or "APPLE".

Example 3: Search Multiple Files

You can also use the grep command to search multiple files at once. To do this, simply specify the filenames separated by spaces. For example:

grep apple fruits.txt vegetables.txt

This will search for the word "apple" in both the "fruits.txt" and "vegetables.txt" files.

Example 4: Search All Files in a Directory

To search all files in a directory, you can use the wildcard character "*". For example:

grep apple *

This will search for the word "apple" in all files in the current directory.

Example 5: Inverse Search

By default, the grep command displays all lines that match the search pattern. However, you can use the -v option to display all lines that do not match the pattern. For example:

grep -v apple fruits.txt

This will display all lines in the "fruits.txt" file that do not contain the word "apple".

Example 6: Search for Whole Words Only

By default, the grep command will match any occurrence of the search pattern, even if it's part of a larger word. For example, the search term "the" will match words like "there", "theme", and "other". To search for whole words only, use the -w option. For example:

grep -w the story.txt

This will only match the word "the", and not words that contain it as a substring.

Example 7: Recursive Search

If you want to search for a pattern in all files in a directory and its subdirectories, use the -r option. For example:

grep -r apple /home/user/documents

This will search for the word "apple" in all files in the "documents" directory and its subdirectories.

Example 8: Count Matches

If you just want to know how many times a pattern appears in a file, use the -c option. For example:

grep -c apple fruits.txt

Example 9:  Do not Matches

Search for lines that do not contain the word "example" in a file "file.txt"

grep -v "example" file.txt

Example 10: Exclude Matches in File

Search for a word "example" in all files except those with a ".txt" extension

grep "example" --exclude=*.txt *