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Difference between Egrep and Fgrep
Egrep and Fgrep, two different command-line utilities, are used to search for text patterns in files. These two commands are often used in operating systems built on Unix, like Linux and macOS.
An enhanced version of the ordinary grep tool is known as "extended grep." It supports the use of extended regular expressions, which enable searches that are more complicated than those possible with standard grep.
fgrep, which stands for "fixed grep," is designed to search for fixed strings rather than patterns. Because of this, fgrep is quicker than grep and egrep but also less customizable.
We will look at the major differences between egrep and fgrep, which includes the capabilities, performance, and use cases. Read this article to find out more about Egrep and Fgrep and how they are different from each other.
What is Egrep?
A command-line called Egrep (Extended Global Regular Expression Print) is used to search for text patterns in one or more files. It is comparable to the grep utility but includes a few extra features that give it more flexibility and power.
One of the main difference between grep and egrep is that the both use "extended regular expressions," a more sophisticated kind of regular expression. With the help of this syntax, more complicated pattern matching is possible, which includes the ability to specify repetition and match numerous options.
Searching for certain words or phrases in a big collection of text files, searching for lines that follow a given pattern, or extracting specific data from log files are all operations that benefit from the usage of egrep.
Let us see some of the common options used in the egrep command −
-i − It performs the case-insensitive search
-v − Search is inverted, and returns only those lines which doesn't match the pattern
-w − Whole words only matches
-c − It is used to count the number of lines which are matching the pattern
-n − Includes the line number before each line
-E − It indicates that the pattern is a long regular expression
Egrep is a member of the GNU grep utility family and is accessible on the majority of Unix-like operating systems, which includes the Linux and macOS.
What is Fgrep?
A command-line called fgrep (Fast Global Regular Expression Print) is used to search for text patterns in one or more files. Unlike the grep utility, which is used for searching through complex regular expressions, this one is better at searching through fixed strings.
In a file or collection of files, fgrep looks for a specific match of a provided string or set of strings. It does not enable the use of the special characters used in regular expressions to specify patterns, such as., '*', '^', '.', etc.
Fgrep is important and faster than grep in searching for fixed strings, especially when searching for multiple strings at one time. This is one of the main benefits of using fgrep. Because of this, fgrep is an excellent option for tasks like surveying through a huge collection of text files for particular words or expressions.
Let us see some of the common options used in the fgrep command −
-i − It performs the case-insensitive search
-v − Search is inverted, and returns only those lines which doesn't match the pattern
-w − Whole words only matches
-c − It is used to count the number of lines which are matching the pattern
-n − Includes the line number before each line
Fgrep is a member of the GNU grep utility family and is accessible on the majority of Unix-like operating systems, including the Linux and macOS.
Difference between Egrep and Fgrep
The following table highlights the major differences between Egrep and Fgrep −
Characteristics |
Egrep |
Fgrep |
|---|---|---|
Definition |
Egrep is used to search for text patterns in one or more files. It stands for Extended Global Regular Expression Print. |
Unlike the grep utility, which is used for searching through complex regular expressions, fgrep is better at searching through fixed strings. Fgrep stands for Fast Global Regular Expression Print. |
Rapidity |
Rapidity is low of Egrep |
Rapidity is high for Fgrep |
Illustration |
$ egrep -E "5|[[:space:]]*5"./file.txt. |
$ fgrep -F "5|[[:space:]]*5"./file.txt. |
Modes of String |
It analyzes a string or list that compiles various modes |
It doesn't analyzes a string or list that collects several modes. |
Expressions |
Extended regular expressions are used by the Egrep command |
Non-extended regular expressions are used by the Fgrep command |
Explanation |
Egrep receives its input through standard input, which is accomplished by pipelining a file's contents through it. |
A file that must be given in a command-line parameter serves as the input source for Fgrep. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, the decision between egrep and fgrep depends on the particular requirements of the task at hand. Egrep is the good option if you need to search for complicated patterns, whereas fgrep might be faster if you need to search for fixed strings.
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