# phpman > man > KPSEWHICH(1)

[KPSEWHICH(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/KPSEWHICH/1/markdown)                           General Commands Manual                          [KPSEWHICH(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/KPSEWHICH/1/markdown)



## NAME
       kpsewhich - standalone path lookup and and expansion for kpathsea

## SYNOPSIS
       **kpsewhich** [_options_] [_filenames_]

## DESCRIPTION
       This  manual page is not meant to be exhaustive.  The complete documentation for this version
       of TeX can be found in the info file or manual _Kpathsea:_ _A_ _library_ _for_ _path_ _searching_.

       **kpsewhich** is used as a standalone front-end of the kpathsea library that can be used to exam‐
       ine  variables  and  find  files.  When the **-format** option is not given, the search path used
       when looking for a file is inferred from the name given, by looking for  a  known  extension.
       If no known extension is found, the search path for TeX source files is used.

## OPTIONS
       **kpsewhich** accepts the following options:

### -debug
              Set debugging flags.

### -D

### -dpi
              As **-D.**

### -engine
              Set _$engine_ in the environment, which is used in some search paths.

### -expand-braces
              Print variable and brace expansion of _string_.

### -expand-path
              Print complete path expansion of _string_.

### -expand-var
              Print variable expansion of _string_.

### -format
              Use  file  type _name_.  See the info manual for a list of valid names, or use the **-help**
              option to print the list.

### -help

### -interactive
              Ask for additional filenames to look up.

### -mktex
              enable mktex_fmt_ generation.  (_fmt_=pk/mf/tex/tfm)

### -mode
              Set device name for _$MAKETEX_MODE_ to _string_; no default.

### -must-exist
              Search the disk as well as ls-R if necessary.

### -no-mktex
              disable mktex_fmt_ generation.  (_fmt_=pk/mf/tex/tfm)

### -path
              Search in the path _string_.

### -progname
              Set program name to _string_.

### -show-path
              Output search path for file type _name_.  See the info manual for a list of valid names,
              or use the **-help** option to print the list.

### -var-value
              Print the expansion of _variable_.

### -version
              Print version information and exit.

## SEE ALSO
       [**mktexlsr**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mktexlsr/1/markdown), [**mktexmf**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mktexmf/1/markdown), [**mktexpk**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mktexpk/1/markdown), [**mktextfm**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mktextfm/1/markdown).



Kpathsea 6.3.4/dev                          1 March 2011                                [KPSEWHICH(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/KPSEWHICH/1/markdown)