CTAGS(1)                             BSD                              CTAGS(1)



NAME
     ctags - create a tags file

SYNOPSIS
     ctags [ -BFatuwvx ] [ -f tagsfile ] name ...

DESCRIPTION
     ctags makes a tags file for ex/vi(1) from the specified C, Pascal,
     FORTRAN, yacc(1), lex(1), and LISP sources.  A tags file gives the
     locations of specified objects (in this case functions and typedefs) in a
     group of files.  Each line of the tags file contains the object name, the
     file in which it is defined, and an address specification for the object
     definition. Functions are searched with a pattern, typedefs with a line
     number. Specifiers are given in separate fields on the line, separated by
     blanks or tabs.  Using the tags file, ex can quickly find these object's
     definitions.

     Normally ctags places the tag descriptions in a file called tags; this
     may be overridden with the -f option.

     Files whose names end in .c or .h are assumed to be C source files and
     are searched for C routine and macro definitions.  Files whose names end
     in .y are assumed to be YACC source files.  Files whose names end in .l
     are assumed to be either LISP files if their first non-blank character is
     ;, (, or [, or lex files otherwise.  Other files are first examined to
     see if they contain any Pascal or FORTRAN routine definitions; if not,
     they are processed again looking for C definitions.

     The tag main is treated specially in C programs.  The tag formed is
     created by prepending M to the name of the file, with a trailing .c
     removed, if any, and leading pathname components also removed.  This
     makes use of ctags practical in directories with more than one program.

OPTIONS
     -B        Use backward searching patterns (?...?).

     -F        Use forward searching patterns (/.../) (default).

     -a        Append to tags file.

     -t        Create tags for typedefs.

     -u        Update the specified files in tags, that is, all references to
               them are deleted, and the new values are appended to the file.
               (Beware: this option is implemented in a way which is rather
               slow; it is usually faster to simply rebuild the tags file.)

     -w        Suppress warning diagnostics.

     -x        Produce a list of object names, the line number and filename on
               which each is defined, as well as the text of that line, and
               prints this on the standard output.  This is a simple index
               that you can print out as an off-line readable function index.

     -v        Produce an index of the form expected by vgrind(1), on the
               standard output.  This listing contains the function name,
               filename, and page number (assuming 64-line pages).  Since the
               output is sorted in lexicographic order, you may wish to run
               the output through sort -f.  Sample use:
                    ctags -v files | sort -f > index
                    vgrind -x index

     -f tagsfile
               Place the tag descriptions in the specified tagsfile instead of
               the file named tags.

BUGS
     Recognition of functions, subroutines and procedures for FORTRAN and
     Pascal is done in a very simple-minded way.  No attempt is made to deal
     with block structure; if you have two Pascal procedures in different
     blocks with the same name, you lose.

     The method of deciding whether to look for C or Pascal and FORTRAN
     functions is a hack.

     Does not know about #ifdefs.

     Should know about Pascal types.  Relies on the input being well formed to
     detect typedefs.  Use of -tx shows only the last line of typedefs.

FILES
     tags      Output tags file

SEE ALSO
     ex(1), vgrind(1), vi(1)