From: "Ara.T.Howard" <ahoward@...>
Date: 2004-05-20T21:23:48+09:00
Subject: Re: seraching backward in files

On Thu, 20 May 2004, Patrick Gundlach wrote:

> Dear ruby hackers,
> 
> I'd wonder if there is a simple method in searching backward in
> files. I want to read a pdf file, so I have to do the following:
> 
> 1) goto the end of file (pdffile.seek(0,IO::SEEK_END))
> 2) search backward for the string "%%EOF" within the last 1024 bytes
> 3) search backward for "startxref"
> 4) read the next bytes,.....
> 
> 
> Do I have to write my own seach backward routine or is there some
> functionality for it?
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Patrick
> 

if you are on linux you might want to simply 

  tac = IO.popen "tac #{ path }"

  # process file in 'normal' fashion - only backwards...




  man 1 tac

cheers.

-a
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