# Quick question

**URL:** <https://community.unix.com/t/quick-question/158564>\
**Category:** UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers\
**Created:** [January 4, 2006, 9:03am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/quick-question/158564 "2006-01-04T09:03:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bab00shka](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/bab00shka/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@Bab00shka](https://community.unix.com/u/Bab00shka)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2006, 9:03am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/quick-question/158564/1 "2006-01-04T09:03:22Z")

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Hi,

Is there a simple way, using ksh, to find the byte position in a file that a stated character appears?

Many thanks  
Helen

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**Author:** ![Ygor](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/ygor/32/104_2.png) [@Ygor](https://community.unix.com/u/Ygor)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/quick-question/158564/2 "2006-01-04T21:54:41Z")

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Try using fold -1 then grep -n  
e.g...

```nohighlight
$ echo "abcdefg"|fold -1|grep -n "d"
4:d

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bab00shka](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/bab00shka/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@Bab00shka](https://community.unix.com/u/Bab00shka)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/quick-question/158564/3 "2006-01-05T17:40:07Z")

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Hi Ygor,

That works great - thank-you 🙂

Helen